


The Hidden Lands of the Dream SMP

by Galatwix



Series: The Hidden Lands ( Dream SMP AU/ Retelling) [1]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), mcyt
Genre: AU, Angry TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Angst, BAMF TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Badboyhalo is a sweetheart, Before L’manburg, Dr. Ponk, Dream POV, Dream Smp, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Floris | Fundy Deserves Better, Floris | Fundy Has Daddy Issues, Fluff, Fox Hybrid Floris | Fundy, Good Wilbur Soot, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, No shipping, Other, PLATONIC ONLY - Freeform, POV Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Platonic Relationships, Pre-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Swearing, The Begininng, The Disc Wars, Tommy POV, Tommy centered, Trans Floris | Fundy, Wilbur Soot is Floris | Fundy's Parent, au with a twist, dream smp au, dream team, mcyt - Freeform, platonic, sally the salmon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 54,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28605360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galatwix/pseuds/Galatwix
Summary: Part 1: The Begininng (Dream SMP AU/ Retelling with a twist)When Dream started his first SMP, he didn’t expect it to grow as much as it did. He hadn’t even intended for anyone besides his close friends to join.Now, people are appearing in the forest of the SMP with little to no knowledge of their lives before then.With such a vast clash of personalities, it’s only a matter of time before problems begin to occur.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Darryl Noveschosch & TommyInnit, Floris | Fundy & Wilbur Soot, Floris | Fundy & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Tommyinnit & Tubbo, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Series: The Hidden Lands ( Dream SMP AU/ Retelling) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2096085
Comments: 38
Kudos: 51





	1. Escape

Tommy ran faster than he ever had before. His legs pumped nearly as fast as his heart did as he tore through the thick brush of the forest. His breath rushed past his lips in a rapid pace, though he’d since lost a rhythm to it. 

He had to escape, he had to get away! He couldn’t let them get him! His thoughts were a panicked mesh of words bouncing around in his skull like his brain was a loose ball. Get out! Get out! Run! Protect them! 

Escape! 

In his hand, two circular edges pressed into his palm with how tightly he was holding them. His knuckles had since grown white with the effort of it. The discs. They were important, he realized they had to be important, right? He had to protect them. Protect them from what?

Tommy looked over his shoulder uncertainly in the direction he was currently running from. Whatever was back there, he needed to protect them from it. There was no question about it… besides the fact that he didn’t know exactly what he meant. 

Tommy spun back around, right in time to come eye to eye with a tree branch. The front of his skull met wood with a sickening crack that seemed to echo as he fell. His vision wavered and his body crumbled, but he didn’t stop falling. He curled into a ball and held the discs tighter to his chest as his already aching body slammed into the ground over and over again. With each hit, a new wave of pain was quick to flash through Tommy’s body. 

At last, his back met solid ground and Tommy tumbled to a stop. His sinus’ stung as if he’d just hung upside down from a tree for an hour. The taste of iron was fresh on his lips. 

Get up. The voices didn’t allow him a break. Get up. Get up! Go! 

Tommy rolled onto his hands and knees, but he kept his head bent to the forest floor as his body shuddered with painful breaths. He had to keep going, he told himself. He couldn’t stop. He needed to escape. 

Tommy begrudgingly pulled himself over to the nearest tree. The rough bark of the trunk scraped his hands and fingertips as he slowly dragged himself onto shaky legs. 

He dragged his head up from where it hung down in line with his shoulders, wincing at the spinning ache that followed with the movement. His head rolled on his neck like it wasn’t even a part of his body anymore, his temples pounded with every frantic beat of his heart. 

Keep moving. Keep going! Keep moving—! 

“I am…!” Tommy whined out. He pulled his discs tight to his chest, pressing them there with his forearm while his fingers went to clutch at the pain in his side. 

He stumbled forwards, his other shaky hand reaching out to grasp the nearest trunk. He felt the rough pine bark biting into the already open wound of his palms, it dug into his fingertips as he dug his nails into it. 

Protect them! 

A burst of light flashed across Tommy’s vision slowly enough for him to register it and lift his head. Light, he decided. Light was safe, right? 

He pressed his torso against the trunk he was currently supporting himself on and squinted into the distance. Light, he urged it in existence. Please… I just need light…! 

Hope blossomed in his chest like the waking embers of fire when Tommy saw it again. This time, it’s brilliant orange firelight was closer to him, perhaps searching. 

Tommy could hear his own breath in his ears as clear as day, stutteringly slow and slurred. His vision blinked in and out of focus and he pushed himself off of the tree. He still continued on despite his head following the close path of his feet. 

Keep going, he urged himself. Another stumbling step forwards. Keep going. Head to the light. Get to the light. 

He collapsed into the nearest pine heavily when his legs turned to jelly and nearly lost the strength to hold him. He wrapped his arms around the funk and held on for dear life while he worked on straightening out his legs. Come on, Tommy urged the useless limbs. Come on, work! 

His legs were very adamant about doing the complete opposite. When he tried to take a step forwards, they lost every single bit of strength they had and he wouldn’t collapsed to his knees if that tree wasn’t there. 

Have to move, have to move, every instinct was screaming at him now. When Tommy cast a look over his shoulder, his eyes met nothing but darkness. He couldn't even see it coming. “Please…” he begged no one in particular. “Please… help….” 

A flash of color and movement burst across Tommy’s vision and, slowly he lifted his head. Through his blurred and darkened eyes, he could just barely make out the shapes of three people— no, two. The fire burned into his retinas and danced before his eyes as the torch was swung close to him. 

For a moment, the two groups simply stared at each other until, at last, Tommy blinked. The figures were becoming blurrier and blurrier, the world darker like a dimming candle. With his last bit of energy, Tommy opened his mouth and let out a desperate plea. 

_“Help me.”_ Then, just like that, his body crumbled and the candle of his consciousness was snuffed. 

~ * ~ 

First, there was nothing, closely followed by the ache of movement and suddenly, Tommy could feel the wind ruffling through his hair. 

Tommy blinked in and out of consciousness as he was moved from the spot he’d collapsed. His shoulder was situated against something firm, but warm. Despite that, his arms, head, and legs hung out into the open air, dangling precariously over the edge of something. 

With each bounce, Tommy swore he could feel something within him shifting. Like a loose leaf being pushed by the wind with only a thin stem preventing it from breaking. 

The darkness sucked him back under briefly, but he only allowed himself to drift for a moment. He was far too confused to sleep, so he managed to claw his way back up at the feeling of being laid down. His back suddenly hit something soft and warm, but before he could even take a moment in peace, hands reached down and touched him. A cloth was pressed against his temple in the spot where the most pain ebbed from. Voices then began to trickle into his ears like the soft pattering of rain.

_ “....Who is he...?” _ A voice asked. 

_“....How did he get here….?”_ Another demanded. 

_“....What happened to him….?”_ The third was softer, more concerned. 

None of their questions were answered, at least not from what Tommy heard. Another pair of hands reached down and cupped the side of his face. They were far gentler than the first pair, although somehow ice cold as well. 

A single finger touched his eyelid and pulled it back to reveal his eye. For the briefest of moments, Tommy thought he saw a glimpse of reality. 

A figure with darkened out features stood over him. Besides the whites of their glowing eyes, their face was like midnight ink, and was shrouded with a hood. Yet, somehow, Tommy thought they looked familiar. 

An image flashed behind his eyes so intensely, it was like a hot rod had been taken to his brain. For a quick second, he saw a man facing what looked to be a shed with three bars in the window. A prison? 

The very sight of the image was closely followed by a white-hot pain as well as the jolting feeling at the back of Tommy’s mind that he wasn’t supposed to see that. It was enough to rouse him back into reality enough that his racing thoughts began to return. He groaned, already beginning to move. He needed to get away. He needed to escape. 

Tommy fought back the cobwebs of darkness that threatened to trap and consume him. Above him, as he cracked open his eyes, the world swam into a mesh of blurry, muted colors. Figures loomed above him, all but two of their faces obscured from view. 

Run. The voice in his head began again.  _ Run! Run, now!  _

Weakly, Tommy fought against the hands that gently touched him. He’d only managed to slightly roll onto his stomach before the hands quickly moved to restraining him, pinning him down. 

In the corner of the room, half shrouded by darkness, he thought he saw a man with a white, porcelain mask strapped to his face. Another stab of pain in his head, but before he’d even begun to register it, he was forcibly rolled back onto his back and held there. 

Still, Tommy struggled. He needed to run. He needed to get as far away as he possibly could— there was no stopping for him, there was no break. Run! 

_ “...need to knock him out—! Get me  _ _ something to knock him out!”  _

Tommy twisted his head to face whoever had just said that and he was quickly met with collage of warm, bright colors over another hidden man’s face. No features could be made out besides a mess of reds, oranges, and yellows. The words alone were enough to send him into a fit, however, and he struggled harder than he ever had before. 

Hands pressed him further into the bed, almost painfully so. They’d since moved on to his legs as well, leaving him to thrash on the bed like cornered prey. Why didn’t they understand? He needed to get out of there! 

“Hey, Kid!” To the right of Tommy’s vision, a man with dark hair with a white bandana wrapped around his head began to speak. “You need to calm down!” 

Tommy sucked in a deep breath and  swallowed back the terrified emotion that threatened to spill over. He clenched his teeth together and fought as hard as he could despite his weak body. “Let… me… go…!” he managed past his sandpaper tongue. He continued to thrash, kick, anything that would work to help him. “Let. Me. Go!  _ Please!”  _ He hated to beg, but he felt right now it was his best tactic. 

“Just calm down!”

“Let me go!” Tommy shouted raspily. He jolted again, but wasn’t able to move much besides an inch. “Please! I need to go!” 

No such eye even glanced down to look at him. Each person above him was too preoccupied with yelling at each other, a feat Tommy had just realized he could no longer hear. Their mouths opened, but no sound came out, it was like he was watching an underwater slow motion performance. 

The hand that had been pressing on Tommy’s forehead suddenly pressed down so hard, his head was forced back onto the pillow. Before Tommy even had time to question, more hands were squeezing his face and unwillingly prying open his mouth. 

Without much other question about it, something colorful was poured in between his lips, but before Tommy could even get the chance to spit it out, the hands returned to hold his mouth shut. 

Bastard—! 

Now, despite his quickly fading energy, Tommy thrashed his head in an effort to force them to let go. The liquid sat in his mouth like biter and heavy butter. It stung his sinuses and his throat, forcing his lungs to contract unwillingly. He tried to cough, but was proven mostly unsuccessful, the liquid was quick to choke him before he could even breathe. 

A completely different face suddenly  hovered close to him, this one a man with brown hair and thick rimmed white sunglasses or goggles staring at him…  _ speaking _ to him. 

What the hell? Tommy stopped thrashing his head for a moment to try and decipher what the man was saying. Two of their fingers were rubbing down the outside of his throat, starting just under his chin and stroking downwards to nearly his chest bone. If Tommy hadn’t been so confused, he would’ve been highly uncomfortable at the fear. 

‘Swallow it. Swallow it.’ 

What? Tommy shook his head defiantly and the hand around his mouth tightened threateningly. He could feel the liquid beginning to trickle to the back of his throat anyways, choking him each time he inhaled. 

Swallow it or choke, Tommy realized quickly enough were his only options. They wouldn’t let him spit it out no matter how hard he tried. He had no doubts that they’d most likely allow him to choke on his own salvia as well. 

His head was suddenly pushed back far enough that the liquid finally hit the back of his throat and Tommy was given no choice but to swallow before he inhaled it. He felt the two fingers pause against his neck, felt them bounce up slightly as he swallowed, before they and the hand against his mouth finally pulled away. 

The reaction of whatever he’d just ingested was immediate, Tommy felt it as the heaviness of the drink quite literally weighed him down as it hit his stomach. It felt like a stick of warm butter. Only somehow, the feeling started at his toes first, numbing them considerably beyond belief before it slowly began to creep up his body. 

The hands on his legs left first when he stopped thrashing so frantically to escape, closely followed by the hands on his wrists, his upper arms, his shoulders, and finally, Tommy’s head thumped back against the pillow. 

He was free now, but was left only to twitch as the darkness began creeping on the edges of his vision. He stared up at the mysterious people who might’ve just killed him and a pit formed in his stomach. He couldn’t make out a single full face to look at. Every single one above him was hidden by a mask. 

Masks? Masks. There were so many masks here… it honestly only left Tommy to wonder as the clutches of sleep slowly dragged him back under its spell. 

What were these strange people hiding? 


	2. The Discussion

Since the younger boy had been discovered in the woods and brought back to the Med Bay, Dream had watched in silence. He’d simply stood and stared in dismay as the chaos unfolded around him. 

Ponk and Bad were the most frantic of the bunch, clearly they were trying their very hardest to treat the stubborn boy despite his thrashing. Even Sapnap, George, and Alyssa were helping. Everyone had put their differences aside and joined together at the threat of a new problem, yet Dream wasn’t sure why he wasn’t joining in. 

He watched as the boy struggling and froze in place when his head turned towards him and, for the briefest moment. The bright blue eyes met the front of the mask and, unbeknownst to him, Dream’s own eyes as well. For a moment, the two simply stared at each other in equal shock and dismay. 

Something tugged at the back of Dream’s mind at the very sight of the boy, something both familiar and mysterious at the same time. However, it went away just as quickly when the contract was broken by Ponk rolling the boy back onto his back. 

_“...Dream…!”_ George told something to him in passing, but Dream completely missed what had been said. The man was wielding a small bottle of Bliss Pot from the supply behind them and seemed too desperate to help to stop. 

At last, Dream stepped forwards to do something. It was as if the string that had been holding him back suddenly snapped. He surged over to the bed and peered around Ponk’s shoulder to see what was going on. 

To say the very least, the boy was struggling. Like, physically struggling against the hands that pinned him to the bed. Despite the dirt and blood that coated his person, he fought tooth and nail to escape. 

George had since pressed his hand over the boy’s mouth, presumably after he’d poured the potion in. Now, he was speaking, repeating the same words over and over again like a mantra. “Swallow it. Swallow it.“ He was currently stroking his index and his middle finger down the boy’s throat, encouraging him to do just that. 

Despite the way the potion was clearly starting to choke him, though, the boy was unrelenting and outright refused to do so. 

If not for the severity of the situation, Dream would’ve found it amusing, but he knew his joke would be considered inappropriate at this moment. Instead, he stepped closer to the bed, minding Bad’s hands already pressed to the boy’s temple. He pushed his palm against the boy’s forehead, forcing his head down further back into the pillow. 

Left with no other choice as the liquid flooded back into his throat, at last the boy swallowed. The second it was gone, George finally pulled his hands away from his face, apologizing softly when his lips parted to suck in a deep breath. 

It was at that the boy at last stopped struggling and collapsed into the bed. Within the minute, his eyelids had already begun to flutter over his dazed, bright eyes. Dream knew the Bliss Pot worked fast, but he never realized just how fast until now. 

The hands that had been pinning him to the bed were finally released and their owners were quick to step back to let Bad and Ponk work. 

“Anyone know what the hell that was?” Sapnap was first to speak, his voice sounded unconcerned, but Dream had known him long enough to read the expression on his face like a novel. 

“We should discuss this in the community house,” Dream suggested before anyone else could respond. “We should let them work.” 

A round of agreement was quick to pass through the group and, after a few quick condolences to the healers, they exited the Med Bay. 

The second they were outside, Sapnap continued. “Seriously. Any ideas here?” 

“I think we’re _all_ equally confused here, Sapnap,” George said. “A kid just stumbled out of the woods, that’s uncanny enough as it is.” 

Sapnap scoffed as the group began making their way down the path towards the community house. “Well, I’m not hearing anything being thrown out there, that’s all I’m saying.” 

“We’re still trying to process what just happened, Sapnap,” Alyssa cut in. “Just slow down, alright?” 

Dream knew they both had equal points, but he couldn’t help agreeing with Sapnap the most. It might’ve been bias, but he also felt that this needed to be hashed out— he needed to figure out what to do about this before he could step in though. 

The group entered the community house and were each quick to take spots in a tight circle near the door. George leaned against the center pole, Alyssa took a seat on the stairs, and Dream leaned against the wall next to the door while Sapnap and Callahan remained standing. 

“Alright. So, to clarify, no one has any idea who he could be?” Alyssa asked. “Or, why the hell he was in the woods in the first place?” 

_“I’ve_ never seen him before,” Sapnap shrugged. “But, then again, I’ve never been in an SMP before either.” 

George’s head swept across the group, scanning questioningly. “I… don’t think anyone here has…” he admitted. 

Dream scanned the group as well, realizing he was right. He’d brought every single person here into their first SMP. He, himself, didn’t ever remember being in one either. 

“Do you think this is normal?” Alyssa asked. “People stumbling out of the forest?” 

“Maybe that’s how people get their  members,” Sapnap agreed. “But, that still leaves questions about why the kid seemed so panicked and beaten up. I’ve met people from SMP’s before, but I don’t think they’ve ever acted like  _ that  _ before.” 

“Maybe they’re unrelated?” George asked, though he didn’t seem so sure. 

It was around that point where Callahan moved from his spot beside Alyssa and headed over to Dream. He laid a hand on the masked man’s shoulder, his words were silent but clear. 

“We don’t know who he is, where’s he’s from, or what he wants,” Dream said, for the first time deciding to speak. “The only person who could maybe clue us in on that is currently unconscious.” 

Sapnap crossed his arms to give Dream a weary look. “Do you think we should we prepare for battle?” 

“It’s always good to be vigilant, Sapnap, one step ahead of the game,” Dream told him. “Until the kid wakes up and we can question him, that’s all we really can do, isn’t it?” 

“Well, listen, I don’t think he has any ill intent,” George said. “He seemed more scared if anything. Either he’s a damn good actor, or…” 

“What if someone comes looking for him?” Sapnap asked. 

Dream made a mental note to hire more protection. He wasn’t sure how SMPs worked, not fully at least. Perhaps there was something more out there that he didn’t know about. 

“Well, George, you and Callahan found him,” Alyssa asked. “Did he say anything about being chased? Escaping? Anything more than he needs to go?” 

George exchanged a quick look with Callahan beside him, then sighed and crossed his arms. “No…” he admitted. “We were out hunting for monsters and heard something in the bush. We were going to attack, but then he just… appeared there… He just… asked for help before he passed out... so, we helped him…” 

Beside Dream, Callahan suddenly lifted his communicator from his pocket, a sign that he wished to speak. Each person in the room pulled out their own communicator as the man began to type into his screen. 

‘He was stumbling as well.’ 

“That, too,” George confirmed. ‘He might’ve hit his head.’ 

“Bad did say his pupils were blown way out of proportion,” Alyssa added. “And, I’m not sure if you guys caught it, but he seemed pretty confused as well.” 

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room. 

“So, a concussion, then?” Sapnap asked. 

“That’s what it _sounds_ like.” Alyssa frowned. “Maybe _that’s_ why he was panicking.” Her words hung in the air in the silence that followed, no one seemed really sure what to add onto that. 

At last, all eyes turned to Dream, the  one who’d taken the most charge in the past. For once, however, Dream didn’t have a reasonable answer to give. “We’ll just have to wait and see,” was all he could offer. “We’ll know more when he wakes up.  Until then, we only have a vague story and a brief, panicked interaction. I don’t think we’ll get much more we can squeeze out of this.” 

“Dream’s right,” George sighed and pushed himself up from leaning against the pole. “The kid’s the only one who could possibly tell us more. We’ll just have to wait until he wakes up to figure this out… besides, it’s late, we should be heading off to bed.” 

Dream cast a look outside the window behind him, discovering that much to be true. The moon had since risen much higher in the sky than he last remembered, it cast a pale glow onto the darkened land around them. 

“Sleeping on it sounds nice,” Alyssa agreed. She stood from the step and stretched out, meeting Callahan’s eye across the room. “You want to head back together?” 

Callahan nodded, then patted Dream briefly on the shoulder as he passed. Goodbyes were exchanged, then he and Alyssa headed towards the exit on the opposite side of the community house. 

“Well, I’d say it’s been a productive day,” Sapnap said and gave George a slight look. He next turned to Dream questioningly, his oldest friend. “You coming, Dream?” 

Dream pushed himself from the wall, but right as he was about to answer, he stopped himself. His gaze flickered briefly to the direction of The Med Bay, a passing thought at first that quickly grew into an idea. “Uh… you guys go ahead,” he said to George and Sapnap, trying for a brief smile at them. “I’ve gotta do a few things first.” 

“Are you sure?” George asked. It is quite late and you’ve worked hard today.” 

“I’m sure,” Dream responded. He waved at them briefly, trying to seem friendly as he passed. “I’ll turn in later.” 

George and Sapnap exchanged a quick look, but they thankfully didn’t argue. 

“Alright,” Sapnap said. “Just don’t get killed. Try not to piss anything off.” 

“Yeah, right back at you,” Dream said, scoffing good naturedly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Yep.”

“Night, Dream,” George added. Without another word, the two turned one way and Dream turned the other, then the three headed their separate ways. 

~ * ~ 

When Dream pushed open the doors to the Med Bay, he was relieved to discover blissful silence. He allowed the door to shut a bit loudly behind him, simply making the two healers aware of his presence, before he began to cross the room towards them. 

On the bed, from what Dream could  see, the young, blonde haired boy slept  _ somewhat  _ peacefully. Without the thrashing and struggling, he looked almost younger, smaller even. 

Dream wasn’t actually sure of his age, but he was willing to assume he wasn’t an adult yet at the very least. “How is he?” He decided to speak outright. 

Ponk looked up from where he’d been wrapping the spare bandages into a tight roll. Upon seeing Dream walking towards him, though, he relaxed. “Sleeping for now. We’ve cleaned him up, treated him the best we can for the time being.” 

Dream turned uncertainly to face the body currently lying peacefully on the mattress. Now that he was still, it was easy to notice the finer details— the dark circles beneath his eyes, his hollow features, his pale skin. “Is… he going to be alright?” 

Ponk glanced back over his shoulder upon noticing Dream staring, then abruptly nodded. “Yeah, he’ll be fine,” he said. “He looks a bit malnourished, but he’s young, he’ll bounce back quick.” 

“How long until he wakes up?”

At last, Ponk’s hands stopped working and he lifted his head to give Dream a look. “I know what you’re thinking and I’m going to have to interfere.”

Dream crossed his arms. “We _have_ to talk to him, there’s no debating it, Ponk. He might’ve run from some trouble that might be following him here as we speak.” 

This time, it was Bad who spoke up across the bed. Dream hadn’t even noticed him sitting there before he’d spoken. “Dream, you can’t interrogate a concussed person, you’ll confuse him.” 

Dream frowned. “I don’t _need_ to interrogate, I just need to… talk.” 

“I think we all know that’s not how it’ll go,” Ponk snorted. “I know you need information, but your interrogation can wait a couple of days until the concussion dies down, can’t it?” 

“If it makes you feel better, we can talk to him to try and get stuff out of him beforehand?” Bad added. 

Dream took a deep breath to try and  keep himself calm. He didn’t want to explode on these two, he knew they were only trying to help the kid. But, still. “He was running from something, that’s what I’ve gathered. I want to know what it is so we can plan accordingly because it may threaten the lives of  _ everyone _ here.” 

“We can ask when he wakes, then we’ll tell you, alright?” 

“Bad—!” 

“Dream, we don’t know this kid, we don’t know what he’s like, where he’s from, what he’s doing, or if he’s even running away from something. If we’re not careful, he may run again, then we’ll lose any information he may have.” 

Dream huffed out a breath. He rolled his eyes, then forced himself to move on. They’re my friends, they don’t mean to be rude, they’re just trying to help, he reminded himself. They mean well. “Fine. When will he be awake?” 

“We could probably get you something by the end of tomorrow— two days at the latest,” Ponk said. “I don’t know how much, that concussion might be bigger than we’ve guessed, but we can try, alright?” 

Dream surrendered a nod. It really wasn’t a matter of whether or not the boy gave him information to hire protection, he was going to do so anyways. “Fine,” he said. “Two days. That’s when I’ll expect information.” 

“Good that.” Ponk said. He turned back to his look and Dream took that as his sign to leave. 

Right as he turned around to head home, however, his eyes suddenly locked onto something leaning against the nightstand. Curiously, he headed over and bent down to pick up one of the circular discs. A music disc, it turned out. “What’s this?” He asked, turning it over to examine the other side. 

“Oh, those are the music discs George said he was holding for dear life when they found him,” Bad said. “We thought it’d be nice to keep them safe for him.” 

“Uh-huh.” Dream flipped it back over to the front and ran his finger along the violet and white ring around the center. “Why did he have these?” 

“Jeez, Dream, we’re not omnipotent,” Ponk muttered. “Hell if we know.” 

“Language,” Bad commented, then quickly moved on. “Maybe he has them because he likes music?” 

“Or, maybe they’re personal.” Dream added. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage in the future. He wasn’t sure why that was the first thought on his mind, but he regarded it nonetheless. Until then, however, he supposed it was a bit rude to steal from a kid he didn’t even know. He had no grudge against him anyways. 

Sighing, Dream set the disc back against the nightstand, then turned back to his friends. “I think I’ll head hone for the night,” he said. “Maybe do a perimeter check— either way, I’ll see you tomorrow. Keep me updated.” 

“Alright. Good night, Dream!” Bad called out to him as he turned. 

“See you tomorrow, Man,” Ponk added.

With a half-hearted wave over his shoulder, at last Dream turned and walked away from his friends and the mysterious, unconscious boy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! My name is Emmy!  
> I’ve decided to continue this for now, please let me know if you’d like to see more, or if you have any questions, comments, concerns, anything really to help out! :)  
> Have a wonderful day! <3


	3. Safe

Tommy’s dreams were a mixture of terrible feelings and running as he slept fitfully. He was sure he woke up every few minutes, at least that’s what it felt like, but his eyes never actually opened. 

Voice floated in tight circles around his head, like tiny muttering creatures with wings. They whispered things to him, things he didn’t expect fairies to whisper. 

_ “...he hit his head…”  _

_ “...likes music…?”  _

_ “...going to be alright…?”  _

_ “...not omnipotent...”  _

_ “... Language…!”  _

Tommy finally managed to drag himself back into his own mind again, though his awareness floated back to him very slowly. The voices returned, they grew louder and closer to him until Tommy swore they were standing beside him. 

_ “... wants him to go to court the second  _ _ he wakes up, but we can’t just say no, can we?”  _

_ “We have to… it’s not right for him to  _ __ invoke that power just because he’s leader. He’d hate to hear it, but we know more than he does in this field….”   
  


_ “...think they just want to talk...”  _

Tommy felt himself fading to darkness once again, only to be roused soon after that when he felt a hand rest against his forehead. The touch was like an icicle against his warmed skin, it did well to pull him back. 

_ “How long?”  _ A third voice asked,  different from the ones that had just been talking. 

A cool hand rested upon Tommy’s forehead. “He’s _ warm, but not very feverish…”  _

_ “You know we can only keep him at bay  _ _ for a day or two… sooner or later, he’ll end up there, you know that, right?”  _

_ “I wish he would realize we can get info  _ _ easier… violence and fear tactics don’t always work…”  _

_ “...only being cautious…”  _

For the second time, Tommy’s consciousness began to flicker again. He tried to focus on the voices, but everything was growing too dark. It felt like the rope tethering him to consciousness was slipping through his fingers and he was struggling to hold on. 

Come on, he urged himself. Wake up already! He needed to get moving again. Stop falling asleep! He urged himself despite the wave beginning to wash over him. Wake up! 

Tommy jolted back into awareness with a quick gasp, his body tensing unwillingly. The voices around him paused momentarily, but after Tommy fell still again, they continued. 

_ “.... he alright...?”  _

_ “...been muttering all night, George...”  _

The voices began growing faurther away from the bed, something that made Tommy’s eyes dart beneath his lids. He wanted to hear more, wanted to learn more, what court had they been speaking about? 

The final sound of a door shutting was enough to push Tommy over the edge. Just as slowly as his hearing had returned to him, his other senses began coming back as well, and he suddenly realized why the quiet darkness was better. 

His entire body ached, starting from the tips of his toes, right up to the very top of his skull. His skull pounded, his ribs felt like they shifted everytime he breathed. Even his eyes began to hurt like they were too large for his skull and were trying to pop out. 

Begrudgingly, Tommy squinted his eyes open, then immediately regretted it. The lights around him stabbed his brain so intensely, he had to bite his lip to hold back the groan that threatened to slip out. What the hell? 

He instead forced his eyes shut to try and rid of the pain, but when he tried to raise his hand to his head, he found it immobilie. 

Tommy’s eyes snapped open and he raised his head. He looked down towards the side of the bed and gasped softly at the sight of his hand attracted to the frame by a thick cloth. 

“Oh!” A soft voice jolted Tommy back to sharp reality. “You’re awake!” 

Tommy whipped his head in the  direction of the voice, but he froze at what he saw. He blinked hard, as if this was simply a figment of his imagination, but the dark hooded  _ creature  _ with glowing eyes remained. 

“How are you feeling?” 

“I...I…” Tommy tried to clear his throat to speak, but there was no moisture to help. He brought his free hand up to rub uncomfortably at his throat. “Wha’?”

“How are you feeling?” The creature…  _ man  _ asked again. The white eyes blinked at him, somehow they managed not to illuminate any more features of the face besides the slight raise of a nose… as if the face really  _ was  _ pitch black. . 

“Dreaming.” Tommy decided aloud. It was rare that he was ever aware of his dream-like state while sleeping, but not impossible. This had to be a dream, right? Surely he was back home with… with…? With who? 

“No, this is real.” 

Tommy whipped his head around to see a man with a brightly colored helmet blankly staring at him. He waved absently when he caught Tommy’s eye. 

The first one offered a dark gloved hand out, his skin was as dark as his face. “I’m BadBoyHalo, but you can call me Bad. This is Ponk.” He frowned when Tommy didn’t reach to take his hand, but then must’ve noticed him holding his throat. “Oh! You must be thirsty, I’m sorry I forgot— I’ll get right on that, just hold tight.” 

From behind, as he stood, Tommy noticed that the Bad simply looked like a man with black jeans and a horned hoodie on. He knew better, of course, but he supposed in the end, it didn’t really matter. These things just tended to happen, this man probably had little control over it. 

Still, it was odd that he wasn’t some form of hybrid or something. In fact, he acted just like a normal man if anything. 

“Are you feeling alright?” Ponk continued. “You think you could give a scale of 1-10?” 

Tommy swallowed thickly. “1 being the worst?” He rasped. 

Ponk shrugged. “Sure.” 

“Um…” Tommy cleared his throat as he  thought about it for a moment. Besides the pounding in his head, nothing hurt  _ too  _ badly, he supposed. Only ached. “6? Maybe 5?” 

Ponk nodded. “Okay. That’s not terrible...” 

“Here.” Bed returned to the  bedside not long after leaving and offered Tommy a small, wooden cup. 

Tommy, however, was ultimately  hesitant to take it. He peered up at the man with a questioning look, though he was quick to smile in reassurance. 

“It’s just water, I promise,” he said. 

“We need to speak with you anyways,” Ponk added. “It won’t knock you out.” 

Tommy was still a bit reluctant, but he figured that they wouldn’t try to lead him astray. He hoped that much at least. They didn’t really seem to have any ill intentions towards him and Tommy needed water anyways. His mouth and throat felt close to fucking dry cotton. 

So, ignoring the instincts that told him not to trust, Tommy reached out and took the cup from Bad. He pressed the edge to his lips and downed it in a few, quick gulps, not realizing how thirsty he’d been until the liquid had hit his tongue. 

Bad set the now empty cup on the nightstand when Tommy finished, then sat back into his seat beside the bed. “Can I talk to you while he assesses you?” 

Tommy blinked again and shook his head, more confused if anything. He winced when it felt like tiny balls of barbed cotton bounced around in his skulls. “What?” 

“Ponk’ll only do only a few, simple procedures,” Bad said. “We’re just making sure you’re alright.” 

Tommy’s eyes drifted uncomfortably to the man, Ponk, on his other side, though he didn’t seem particularly frightening. He didn’t look friendly, but he didn’t look unfriendly either, only… unconcerned. “Fine…” he sighed. “I guess that’s alright.” 

Bad and Ponk exchanged a quick look, then Ponk abruptly got up. While he went towards the wall to most likely retrieve something, Bad began to speak. 

“We’ll start off simple,” he said. “What’s your name?” 

“Uh… Tommy…” Tommy responded. 

“Tommyinnit.” 

“Tommyinnit?” Bad shot him a look that could only be classified as an eyebrow raise. 

Tommy frowned at him, more offended  if anything. “At least my name is a name,” he said. “What kind of fucking name is  _ BadBoyHalo?” _

“Language! And, it’s mine, you Muffin,”  BadBoyHalo… or,  _ Bad _ , said without hesitation. “It’s not my  _ real  _ name if that’s what you’re wondering. It’s only a title, you know… like a cover.” 

Tommy rolled his eyes. “I _know_ how this shit works, thank you,” he said. 

“Language.” 

Tommy wasn’t quite sure how he knew that giving out real names anywhere around here was dangerous, but he figured it wasn’t such a horrible thing to know. 

Ponk returned to the bedside. In his hand, he carried a large, black bag which Tommy assumed was full of medical supplies. However, he didn’t outright reach into the bag, instead he approached the bed and nodded at Tommy when he caught him looking. 

“So, do you actually know how this works?” Bad continued, seeming genuinely surprised. “Have you been… around?” 

Tommy swallowed. He didn’t know that either. “I…” he trailed off when a stab of pain was quick to shoot through his skull. Fuzzy, painful static was quick to fill his brain when he tried to recall anything before… running last night? “I don’t know.” 

“What do you remember about coming  _ here?”  _ This time, Ponk spoke from where he was busy stretching out Tommy’s arm to its full length. 

“Uh…” Tommy winced as a sharp pain shot through his skull as he tried to think about it, but he pushed past the pain to try and locate an answer. He knew he remembered that, and he wasn’t keen on forgetting it anytime soon. 

“It’s alright if you can’t—!” 

“Running…” Tommy decided. “Running from….” he didn’t know what he’d been running from. “Hitting my head….” that explained the pain. “Protecting…” he suddenly trailed off when the thought hit him. His discs! 

Tommy yanked his arm from Ponk’s grasp and shot straight up in the bed with a strangled gasp of realization. He threw back the covers from his legs and patted the bed around him. His discs! Where were his discs? 

“Woah, hey! Calm down!” Bad and Ponk were trying to grab at him, possibly to hold him into place, but Tommy yanked his limbs away from their grabbing hands. 

“What are you looking for?” Ponk asked. 

“I need them!” Tommy shouted frantically. He wouldn’t admit how it felt like his eyes were filling with liquid, he just needed them back. “I need them now! Give them back!” 

“Calm down and tell us what you need.” 

“Where are they?” Tommy barked. Someone must’ve taken them! Stolen them! “Give them back! I need them!” 

“You mean these?” 

Tommy’s head whipped towards Bad the second the words left his mouth and relief flooded through him at the sight of the man holding his two discs in the air next to his head. Frantically, Tommy reached out and snatched them up, pulling them close to his chest, before scooting away from Bad. 

“Is that what you wanted?” Ponk asked. “The discs?” 

Tommy nodded. He sucked in a deep breath to try and calm his frantic nerves. They’re safe, he told himself. They’re safe, don’t panic. 

“They’re important to you, then?” Ponk continued. 

Again, Tommy nodded. All he knew was that he needed to protect them and having them with him made him feel safer. “Mind your business...” he still spat shakily. 

Bad nodded. His hands were raised in surrender and his eyes were twisted with concern as he stared at Tommy. “Okay… uh…” he looked to Ponk across the bed, and something silent was exchanged between them, but it was something Tommy didn’t catch. “Are you good to keep going?” 

Tommy swallowed and took another deep breath to force his muscles to relax. “Yeah…” he muttered. “I’ll be fine.” 

“Alright…” Bad slowly sat back in his chair. “Uh… Do you know anything else besides what you told me?” 

“Uh—!” Tommy winced sharply when Ponk’s hands moved to rest gently against his aching chest. He jolted uncomfortably at the shift in his ribs, but after a quick reassurance to keep going, he tried to move on. “Ugh… Why?” 

“Our friend, he’s kind of like the leader here, and he’s curious to know what’s going on. If you’re running from someone or something like that. Does that sound familiar? You mentioned something about ‘running from’ something, but never finished.” 

“I… I can’t remember…” Tommy muttered. He remembered running away frantically from something, but the thought of who or what escaped him. Why couldn’t he remember anything? Didn’t he have a life before this? What if he had a life or family that he didn’t even know existed? What if—?

Tommy yelped when the fingers on the sides of his ribs suddenly pressed down right against the most painful spot. He tried to jump back, but Ponk held him in place and he felt something shift more. “Ow— will you _stop it?”_

“Try to calm down a bit, will you?” Ponk muttered unhelpfully. The man’s tone was an odd mixture of annoyance and concern. “You’re making this take longer than it needs to and this is getting very awkward.” 

_ “You’re  _ the one who put your hands  there!” Tommy snapped.  _ “I _ didn’t ask you to do that.” 

“I’m  _ trying _ to do my job,” Ponk shot  back. “It’s the one thing only  _ I _ can do around here.” 

“What about him?” Tommy nodded quickly to Bad beside him. “What’s he, then?” 

“I’m an assistant,” Bad piped up. 

“Would you like  _ him _ to do this instead?” P onk huffed bitterly. “Because it’s getting done either way, as awkward as it is for both of us,  _ this _ is what I’ve been told to do.” 

“What are you? A sheep? Why do you  keep pressing down so hard anyways?” Tommy demanded. “I’m  _ sore,  _ Bruv.” 

“I’m _trying_ to be gentle,” Ponk said earnestly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to press down there, alright?” 

Tommy felt like whining, but he covered  his meekness with aggression. “Do you  _ have  _ to do this part?” 

At last, Ponk pulled his hands away,  though it didn’t seem like he’d finished what he was doing as he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. “Yes. We can let Ice-Hands over there do this,” he snapped. “Would you prefer  _ that?”  _

Tommy winced at the phantom feeling of coolness swept through his chest. He’d felt what body heat Bad lacked, somehow it made the idea of this stupid ‘assessment’ sound so much worse. “Can’t you just… use my wrist or something?” He asked. 

“I’m checking your ribs and your breathing as well, it’s more normal now that you’re awake, your pulse is next,” Ponk raised an eyebrow at him. “Unless you’d painfully like to find out later yourself if something is wrong?” 

Tommy didn’t, but that didn’t make him any more comfortable with this. Or make him want to admit it. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Bad laid a hand on his shoulder. A shiver shot down Tommy’s spine at the frigid touch. 

“Don’t worry about what he’s doing,” the man said gently. “Focus on talking to me, alright? Just take deep breaths and he’ll stop fussing at you.” 

Tommy huffed out a breath,  shuddering slightly when Ponk’s hands came back, but he tried to focus on Bad, even if the very slight pressure hurt. “Where am I?” He finally asked. “I woke up here, but I’m not even sure where  _ here  _ is.” 

“This is an SMP a friend of ours  created as a sort of…  _ hang out  _ spot, though we’re starting to have second thoughts about the hang out thing...” Bad told him. “You’re currently in our Med-Bay after some of our other friends found you in the forest.” 

“Can I go outside?” 

“Erm…” Bad leaned back in his chair to scratch the back of his head... of rather the hood it was covered by. “Better not. Not yet anyways.”

“Why not?”

“You’re still injured, Muffin-Head,” Bad replied like it was the most obvious thing. “And, besides, our friend in charge is eager to get his hands on you.” 

_“What?”_ Tommy demanded. “Why?” 

“You showed up unannounced in a place that was supposed to be safe and no one has any idea how you got here,” Bad held his eye seriously. “He wants to learn everything he can about you in the quickest way possible.” 

Tommy frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Erm… there’s really nothing to worry about. He can be intense, but he means well. He’s just worried you were being chased is all.”

Tommy was about to respond, but gasped sharply when Ponk suddenly reached over to rest two fingers against his throat, just under his chin. He tried to jolt away, but the man’s other free hand came to rest on his shoulder to push him back into the bed. 

“Relax,” Ponk murmured. “It’ll only take a minute.” 

Tommy swallowed, somewhat nervously, though he’d never admit it aloud. Ponk had been close before, sure, but this was just too much— what if his hands stopped taking a pulse and instead went to choke him? 

Ponk must’ve felt something off because eyes darted to look up at Tommy from where he’d been staring at the own timer strapped to his wrist. “Relax.” He said again, a bit more quietly. “Deep breaths, you’re alright.” 

“Do you have to?” Tommy whispered. He met Ponk’s gaze, trying to keep his own expression relaxed, but even he could feel how bugged his own eyes were. 

“Thirty seconds is all I need,” Ponk said, then nodded to Bad across the bed. “Don’t focus on me. Just focus on Bad, alright? Try not to speak.” 

Tommy told himself that they wouldn’t hurt them—their job was to help— but, he was having trouble believing it. “Chased by what?” 

“Another kingdom?” Bad continued. “Maybe some scavengers? Bounty hunters?” He shrugged. “We honestly don’t know much. We were hoping you could help, but you know not much more than we do. I think you might’ve hit your head or something out there, that would explain the gash on your temple.” 

Tommy opened his mouth to speak, but Ponk’s hand increased the pressure on his shoulder, reminding him not to do so. He swallowed again, a bit harder this time, and felt Ponk’s fingers shift slightly. 

“Like I said, though,” Bad raised his hands and leaned away from the bed. “Dream’s a good person and a good leader… or I guess as good as people get around here. He protective, he only wants to keep everyone safe.” 

Safe. Tommy’s eyes drifted down to the discs resting in his lap. He needed to keep them safe. These healers had been nice enough, sure, but he had no idea what anyone else was like. Would someone try to steal his discs if he stayed here? 

Bad continued talking, but Tommy wasn’t listening anymore. He needed to get out of here, he realized with a start. He needed to protect his discs. His eyes darted over to the cloth still firmly holding his other wrist to the bed. It looked thin enough, if he could just get something to cut it so he could go. 

Maybe there were scissors in Ponk’s bag? But, he wasn’t sure how quickly he could get down there and grab it before Ponk took it away. Something sharp could’ve worked, right? Where could he get something sharp...? 

Glass! Glass _shards_ were sharp, weren’t they? How fast could he move if he were to get his hands on one? Tommy supposed he was about to find out. 

“Tommy?” Ponk finally pulled his fingers away, but his hand never left Tommy’s shoulder. “Are you—?” 

“I need a potion.” 

Both Bad and Ponk paused from what they were doing to look at him in concern. 

“What?” Ponk asked. “A potion? Why?” 

“Are you feeling alright?” Bad asked. 

Tommy swallowed, hoping his nervousness would be enough to fool them into thinking he was in pain. “No.” 

“Shit,” Ponk said, closely followed by a muttered ‘language’ from Bad. “What hurts?” 

Truth be told, everything ached. Not enough to the point where Tommy actually needed condolence, but enough that he could at least use it to his advantage. “Uh... c-chest.” He lied. 

“Is it hard to breathe?” 

“Erm…” Tommy grimanced as he mulled it over. Was saying yes taking it too far...? Should he really have actively decided to put them in a worrying situation? They’d been so nice to him… Oh well. “Yes.” 

Immediately, both men leapt into action. Tommy’s ears nearly rang when their wooden chairs scraped against the floor as they stood. Bad was quickly easing him back down onto the mattress while Ponk rushed over to a chest on the opposite side of the room. 

“Alright, just take deep breaths,” Bad was saying down to him. “Hold tight, we’ll try to fix it.” 

“Alright…” Tommy muttered. Part of him felt bad that he was currently causing a panic between the two, but he needed to go. There was no debate about it. He pulled his discs close to him as Ponk ran back from the chest, a bottle filled with light pink liquid clutched tightly in his hands. A Regen pot. 

“Hold his head,” Ponk instructed. 

Tommy tried not to seem too disgusted when Bad slid his hands beneath his head like he was a mere child. Instead, he forced himself to wait, his eyes glued on the bottle patiently. He needed to get the bottle. Now. 

Ponk roughly grabbed his face to hold his mouth open, then poured the potion in. Tommy, for once, cooperated and choked down the sickeningly sweet liquid no matter how much it made him want to vomit. 

The feeling that spread through his body was like euphoria, his body was warming, aches fading… muscles strengthening. Tommy felt like collapsing in the bed right there to relish in it, but he knew this wouldn’t last long. He didn’t have long to act— now was the only time he could. 

When Ponk and Bad reached down to undo the bandages wrapped around Tommy’s chest is when he finally decided to move. He snapped his hand back towards the night stand as quickly as he could, grabbed the bottle, and smashed it against the wood. It shattered cleanly in his hand, the shards exploded across the surface, and Tommy didn’t waste time to grab one tightly. 

With newfound strength, he twisted out of the way of the hands and kicked his leg towards Bad. When the man stumbled back, Tommy pushed Ponk away, then slid off the bed onto the floor. His hand was dripping blood, making it difficult to keep a grasp on the shard, but he held it tightly and dared not let go. He slid it across the cloth holding him to the frame, then when Bad dove for him, he leapt onto the mattress. 

“Tommy—!” 

With his discs clutched tightly to his chest, Tommy leapt over Ponk when he tried to grab him. He landed on the floor behind him and a shock wave was quick to rattle his bones, but he was off before he could even register it. 

“Tommy, come back!” Bad called after him worriedly. 

Tommy didn’t listen. He tried to ignore the fact that he was shirtless besides the bandage and he hadn’t even noticed he was barefoot until now. Nonetheless, he pushed on. He had to escape. He needed to get out of it was the last fucking thing he did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading another chapter, I’d really appreciate some comments: questions, concerns, theories, grammar mistakes anything really! I work pretty much alone on stuff like this, feedback and assistance is very much appreciated!  
> I’ll try to update about every other day so I have time to wrap the chapters lmao. Maybe around this time? Maybe later, I really only have the days planned out so far :/  
> Anyways, thanks for reading and have a beautiful day! <3


	4. Hidden

Running away, Tommy supposed in the best sense, was what he was best at. 

After throwing open open the door to the outside world, Tommy was immediately blinded by the bright sunshine that flooded into his retinas. He stumbled, gasping in pain, and barely managed to catch himself on a pole across the path he now stood on. 

“Tommy!” Ponk shouted behind him. “Stop!” 

Footsteps approached, yet, despite his pounding head and slightly wavering vision, Tommy took off like an arrow down the path. He couldn’t let them catch him. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, trying to ignore the fact that he barely even see a foot in front of him. When had the sun gotten so bright? When had his eyes gotten so sensitive? 

His legs pounded against the wood,  sending shock waves up his body and into his already throbbing skull and ribs. Everything ached, but he had not the energy to care— he  _ couldn’t  _ care or it would choke him. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him. 

He darted past half-built structures he’d never seen before he was met with a foliage that slowly began to grow thicker the longer he went on. This place wasn’t very big, he noticed, not yet anyways, despite the long path making it seem larger. Something in the back of his mind whispered to him that he’d seen more impressive, but without much context, Tommy only pushed the thought aside. 

He wasn't sure he could keep running like this, so his next best option was to hide. Where could he go that no one would find him? Where could he go that he could see out? 

Tommy begrudgingly lifted his head to the light and squinted through the pain to try and locate something, but he froze in his tracks so quickly, he nearly face planted into the rough wood. In front of him, no more than 6 feet away, a man with a green hoodie and a thick, porcelain smiley mask stood staring at him. For a moment, the two were frozen, seemingly each in some trancelike state. 

Tommy wasn’t quite sure what it was about the man that made him stop. Perhaps it truly was shock, or maybe it was something else, a tugging sensation clued him onto that, but he realized quite quickly that he didn’t have time to question. 

The man took a step forwards and it was like the spell had been broken: Tommy spun to the left and ran, narrowly avoiding Ponk’s hand reaching for him. 

Run! His brain screamed at him, Tommy  did. He clutched his discs tightly to his bare chest and ran without a clue where he was going. He just needed to go. Or, at the very least, he needed a minute to fucking  _ think.  _

~ * ~ 

Tommy sat atop the tallest structure  he could climb, his knees pulled to his chest as he stared down at the scene below. People ran about the area, frantically searching every square inch they possibly could and recruiting other members to help as well.  He  _ did _ feel a bit guilty, he realized with a pang upon noticing it. He hadn’t meant to cause  _ this _ much of a panic… 

Part of him hoped they wouldn’t be too  mad at him when they eventually found him, the other part really couldn’t have cared less. He supposed he would say he was torn on the subject— was he  _ supposed  _ to feel like he was friends with these people or not? He didn’t  _ want  _ to, but, all in all, he did ultimately feel guilty for running. He  _ had  _ done it for a good reason, though… 

Tommy stiffened at the sound of movement behind him. He pulled his discs close to his chest and cast a wary look over his shoulder, but he was shocked at the face he was met with. Or rather, the lack there of. A man with a green hoodie and a white smiley mask was staring at him, an axe strapped to their back— the same man Tommy had seen earlier. 

The figure came over to him without a single word. They were so silent, Tommy had to wonder if they’d realized he was here. 

“Hello, Tommy,” the man muttered. He sat down beside Tommy effortlessly, then leaned back a bit. In his hand, he held a small, black device hat he glanced at every few seconds. 

“You know my name?”

“Of course,” the man replied. “A good leader learns quickly, no?” 

Tommy swallowed, somewhat nervously. He kept his gaze locked onto the scenery below, trying not to seem afraid. Everything connected far too quickly for him, but there was no way he could’ve been wrong. “You must be Dream.” 

“In the flesh,” Dream answered. “I’m the leader around here.” 

“So, I’ve heard.” Tommy surrendered a quick glance to his side, but Dream didn’t pause what he was doing to even look at him. 

“Word on the street is you want to speak to me?” 

Dream nodded. “It’s good to see word has traveled fast,” his head tilted slightly towards Tommy so only a sliver of the eye was visible. “I’ve got some concerns… concerning you…” 

“Nice sentence,” Tommy muttered sarcastically. 

Dream scoffed a laugh, but thankfully he didn’t react much more than that. “First question? Are you really having trouble breathing?” 

Tommy paused, not at all expecting that to be the first unbearable question out of the ‘fearless leader’s’ mouth. “What?” 

“What? Did you think Ponk and Bad  wouldn’t care that you ran out on them like that?” Dream snorted, a noise that sounded close to a brief wheeze of laughter followed. “You told them you couldn’t breathe, beat them up, then ran out of there like you were on  _ fire—  _ what did you  _ think _ they would do?” 

Tommy hadn’t really thought about it  _ that _ much. “Um… sorry, no... I’m breathing alright…” he sucked in a deep breath, despite the pain from his ribs, then exhaled just to show Dream that he could. 

Dream snorted again. He pulled the small, black device closer into his lap, then typed something on it quickly. When Tommy tried to look over his shoulder, that’s when he spoke again. “He says: ‘Good. Tell him that he has a concussion, he shouldn’t be out yet.’” 

“I feel  _ fine,” _ Tommy lied. He didn’t feel  _ terrible,  _ but he didn’t feel great either. His head was pounding, sure, and the light was kind of hurting his eyes, though he didn’t need them  _ fussing _ over him like he was some sort of lost puppy-dog. He  _ always  _ took care of himself in the rare occasion it was needed. With healers or no healers around. 

“He sent me a list of symptoms,” Dream  sighed in such boredom it sounded close to a groan. “It’s too long to read. Can I just say you’ll go if you feel off?” 

Tommy glanced over at him. “I probably won’t,” he persisted. 

“One of them will drag you in by the ear when they find out you didn’t,” Dream said. “I speak from experience, trust me, they both have done it.” 

Tommy rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he grumbled. “Tell them whatever.” 

Dream presumably did. The device buzzed in his hands maybe a minute later, but he didn’t bother responding and instead set it beside him. “So…” he began. “A lemon tree?” 

“Is that what this is?” 

“Yeah, Ponk’s lemon tree,” Dream replied. “I’m not sure what he did to get it to grow this big and... malformed... though, I suspect he might’ve built on it more than he’s willing to admit. I think he just repaired it recently as well, he and Sapnap have been having a bit of a quarrel over it...” 

Tommy didn’t believe it. “Over a  _ lemon  _ _ tree?”  _

“Retaliation, I guess…” Dream shrugged. “I get it, up high is a good place to scope, if you ask me... but, could you at least put on a shirt?” 

Tommy looked over to find Dream carelessly holding a top out to him. He recognized it as being one of his very own— most likely what he’d been running in a few nights earlier. It was his favorite, if he recalled correctly, a red and white baseball top.

“It’s cold up here, Bad would kill me if I intentionally let you get sick.” 

Tommy grabbed the top and held it close to his chest. He took a moment to examine it before he responded. “Why do you have this?” He asked, but nonetheless pulled it over his head. 

“I’m sure you’re aware that everyone’s looking for you?” 

Tommy’s eyes drifted down to the ground below. He could see the figures of about three or more people down there, though none had really seemed to have noticed him and Dream. “Yeah...”

“Well, I heard from Bad and Ponk first  to keep an eye out, but I knew I could find you easily— it was actually a little  _ fun _ , to be honest.” 

Tommy glanced at him oddly, a bit judgmental, but the man continued as if it were nothing. 

“So, I went in and grabbed your shirt as a bargaining chip.” 

“A  _ bargaining _ chip?” 

“To gain your trust.” Dream shrugged.  “I thought you’d have realized that. From what  _ I’ve _ heard, you’re pretty cunning for your age.” 

Tommy thought about questioning that, but he supposed a compliment from the leader of this place was something he could accept. “I am, aren’t I?” he said, sitting up taller despite his aching chest. “How’d you find me anyways?” 

Dream shrugged. “Oh… I have my ways…” his head tilted down to stare at Tommy’s hand in his lap, the one currently still dripping blood from his escape. “People leave clues, you just need to know how to look for them.” 

Tommy scoffed and self consciously pulled the hand closer to him. He flexed it out once, wincing when the needle-like pain returned. The wound throbbed and stung like he was still holding the shard, but he ultimately elected to ignore it. “I got out, didn’t I?”

Dream scoffed a chuckle. “Sure, you can look at it that way,” he said. “So, why’d you run?” 

Tommy swallowed, then released a quiet sigh. “I can’t stay here,” he didn’t want to beat around the bush, he never liked to anyways. If there was no need to lie, why be slow about it? 

“Why not?” Dream sat forwards suddenly interested. “Who are you running from?” 

“Why do you care?” 

“I lead this place. I’m watching out for the ones I care about. I need to know if they’re safe.” 

Tommy blew out a puff of frustrated air. “It’ll sound crazy…” 

“Try me.” 

“I don’t fucking know, okay?” Tommy  scoffed an almost ironic laugh. “I’m shaken out of my wits, confused to no end, and nervous, but I have  _ no _ idea why.”   


“You can’t remember?”   
  
Tommy shook his head. 

“But, you _are_ running from something?” Dream pressed on. “That part is true?” 

“Something or someone,” Tommy  shrugged. “My leaving might lead them away from your precious place here…” he rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t want  _ you  _ after me as well.” 

“Hm…” Dream looked out into the horizon suddenly, as if a thought had just occurred in his mind, and he needed a moment to mull it over. “Do you remember where you’re from?” 

“I’ve already been through this,” Tommy grumbled. He crossed his arms protectively over his chest, an act to make sure Dream didn’t just decide to lay his hands there suddenly. “I told them everything I know.” 

“Am I  _ asking  _ them?” 

“Maybe you should, Bitch,” Tommy spat.  _ “You _ asked for them to  _ examine _ me, didn’t you? Grill me with questions?” 

“I was curious about your health, I’d like to say I did you a solid.” 

“They’re  _ handsy,”  _ Tommy snapped. 

“I don’t think you know the meaning of that word—!” 

“They  _ touched  _ me when I didn’t want to  be touched, they’re  _ handsy!”  _

Dream raised his hand in surrender. They were gloved, Tommy noted. Dream wore fingerless gloves… as if the concept of normal gloves was too boring for him. “Alright, sure,” he said. “They’re healers, that’s what they were supposed to do.” 

“You _asked_ them to do that.” Dream scoffed. “What? Did they take your pulse? Check your breathing? _Talk_ to you? From what _I_ heard, that was their main concern… that and the concussion... and, from what I’ve heard, they didn’t finish. I asked to make sure you were alright, that’s all.” 

“Yeah, Ice-Hands and the bitch,” Tommy huffed. “It’s a real shit-show in there, you know?” 

“Hey, come on,” Dream added. “Be nice, they were trying to help. They were making sure you were alright after you stumbled here in a panic, then promptly passed out.” 

Tommy rolled his eyes. 

“Hey, speaking of which, how much do you remember about that?” 

“About what?” 

“The night you came.” 

“I’m sure you could figure  _ that  _ much  out, couldn’t you, Genius?” Tommy mumbled. “I was running, then I passed out. Bits and pieces after that. Other than that,  _ nothing.  _ How many times do I have to repeat myself?” 

Dream shrugged. _“I_ didn’t hear that much from you. Just a lot of bitching towards me and my healers.” 

“There’s more where that came from,”  Tommy shot back. “Would you like me to continue? I could think of a whole list of things wrong with  _ you.”  _

“No, that’s alright,” Dream said. “I’ve heard enough of that for one day. Actually… I have a proposition for you, Tommy.” 

“Yeah?” Tommy hadn’t expected that. “What’s that?” 

“From what I’ve gathered, we both need something here, don’t we? Honestly, the same thing depending on how you look at it…” 

“What?” Tommy frowned. “An escape?” 

“Protection.” 

“I—!” Tommy swallowed, trying to keep his face neutral. “What are you saying?” 

“I suppose we could help each other, couldn’t we?” Dream’s mask tilted towards him slightly so a single, lifeless black eye was pointed directly at his face. “I can offer a deal.” 

Tommy wasn’t quite sure where this was going, but the man seemed to have it all planned out. He, himself, still didn’t even know what to flow held. “Go on.” 

“My deal is that I let you stay here and I help protect you… in return for your undying loyalty to me and my SMP.” 

“So... protection for protection?” 

Dream nodded once. “A symbiotic relationship, if you will. Both animals benefit from it, do they not? You gain a home, I gain a guard.” 

Tommy glanced down at the discs  situated against his hip. Protection for his discs, more like, that’s when he knew  _ something  _ could’ve been after. He needed to keep them safe, but was here really the best place for that? “And… what if I don’t want a home here?” 

Dream shrugged. At last, he pushed himself back from the ledge and onto steady feet. He didn’t offer Tommy a hand down— instead he stood awoke him, almost condescending. “I guess that’s up to you, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah…” Tommy muttered. “It is…”  Truth be told, he wasn’t sure he wanted to leave  _ quite  _ yet, the thought had yet to leave him, but where would he go? He didn’t want to get mixed up in whatever they were doing, he honestly wasn’t even keen on getting mixed up with them. But… judging by the aching of his ribs, he probably shouldn’t have gone far. He was no healer, far from it, but even  _ he _ knew that. 

He thought Dream would leave after that, but it seemed the man’s work here was not finished. The man continued speaking to Tommy as he adjusted the gear and armour situated around his person. 

“Just think, Tommy,” he said. “You  could be my  _ vassal.  _ You could be praised and  _ worshipped  _ for all that you do... _ ”  _

“I don’t…” Tommy sighed and clenched  his fists so tightly, his fingernails dug into his palms. “I don’t  _ need _ that much power…” a few, choice words rung in his ears, some that he recognized as  _ someone  _ he once knew saying to him, though he didn’t now who. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely, Dickhead...” 

“Some tend to work better in the  shadows…” Dream shrugged again. “You do have  _ somewhat _ of a point there, Tommyinnit.”

Tommy’s brow bounced up slightly. Dream knew his full IGN, then? 

“The real question is what you’re going to do when you grow tired of it?” 

Tommy bit his lip and glanced back over his shoulder, but Dream had already disappeared. He sucked in a shaky breath and pulled his discs close to him. Working with Dream didn’t seem like such a bad idea… but, he couldn’t help but wonder what that could really mean for him. 

Before he could even have time to process, though, something in his pants suddenly buzzed. Tommy startled only slightly at the noise, but he reached around in his pocket until he was able to locate the source. 

It was a dark and rectangular device that couldn’t have weighed very much since he hadn’t felt it before now. It was small enough that it fit cleanly in his pocket… the same thing Dream had been typing on earlier. Why hadn’t he noticed it? 

The thing buzzed again in his hands again and Tommy frowned at the screen as it lit up. Two messages were clear on the device in front of him. 

Dream: My offer still stands. You have one week to decide. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It’s Emmy again!  
> Thank you so much for reading this chapter! <3 <3  
> Comments of all kinds are appreciated! They’re very good motivators for me as well! (I also don’t have beta readers, so my eyes are the only ones to see this page! If you see any errors, please let me know!)  
> I think I’m going to get on a schedule of about every other day, so my next chapter will be on Thursday around this time. That being said, please stick around if you’re enjoying it! :)


	5. Reassurance

The first thing Tubbo was aware of was the sensation of spinning. He felt as if his head had been replaced by a carousel that never ceased movement. 

His thoughts came next, a whirling storm of confusion and panic. He couldn’t remember anything before that moment, couldn’t remember how he’d ended up here. The only thing on his mind was one thing: Tommy. But, who the hell was that? 

Tubbo jolted awake with a gasp, his eyes flying open to darkness. It took a moment for his vision to clear and, above him, tall trees stretched into view. Groaning, Tubbo sat up. Where was he? 

“Hello?” He called out. Nothing shouted back to return his call. “Is there anyone out there?” 

Still nothing. 

Tubbo hummed in thought. At last, he stood from where he’d been laying on the forest floor. He knew not how he’d gotten there, but he supposed he could try to find some answers. Maybe there was someone out there who could help him? He didn’t have a lot of other options, did he? 

So, without much more thought of the subject, Tubbo turned and headed in the direction that looked the most welcoming. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he figured he’d find out soon anyways. 

Great oaks and pine trees stretched well above his head as he made his way through the forest. The leaves crunched beneath his boots, leaving a crisp, inviting smell in the air as they broke. From what he could see through the trees, the sky was a lovely, calming blue colour above him— only a few fluffy, white clouds obstructed it. At the very least, it was nice here, not at all threatening. 

The trees eventually thinned the longer he walked on and Tubbo was able to recognize the signs of human activity, a sight that brought more relief to him than he’d realized possible. So, he wasn’t alone, then? The faurther he went, the more signs there were: an axe, a bucket, tree stumps, then finally, after what felt like ages of walking, a building. 

Tubbo paused at the edge of the wood,  his eyes wide in shock as he stared ahead at the mini-town before him. There weren't a lot of buildings, none of which as impressive as he’d ever seen before anyways, but they were a sure sign of human life. That was good enough for him. He began heading towards it, but quickly stopped himself. Part of him longed to continue forwards into it, but the more sensible part told him to be careful. He didn’t know who these people were. He didn’t even know  _ where  _ they were. 

So, Tubbo remained on the outskirts of the town-like place, simply going around the edges. Maybe he could find help first? He thought about risking it all and venturing further into the lands, but he stopped himself. Being cautious never hurt, did it? 

He began walking but quickly froze in his tracks again. The smell of smoke reached his nose, the smell of a campfire, and Tubbo looked around trying to locate it. In the distance, billows of grey smoke rose from atop a small hill. It was a stark contrast to the white fluffy clouds in the sky. 

Fire was a sign of life, Tubbo told himself and he headed for it. The shock of arriving here had faded to what felt like a dull thought in his head, though he wasn’t sure why. He knew he should’ve been panicking, but all of it just felt… familiar to him, he supposed. He simply wasn’t too worried. 

When Tubbo came up on the crest of the small hill where the smoke came from, he paused in his tracks at the sight he was met with. It was a small camp fit for maybe one or two people. A small pot simmered over a smoldering fire, a sure fire sign of life here as well. However, Tubbo frowned at the organized chaos of it. 

The area didn’t look like the worst thing he’d ever seen, but it was far from the best as well. Everything was thrown about the grounds, but nothing laid alone anywhere. It was almost like whoever lived here accomplished a task, then simply dropped what they were doing in the spot they stood and moved on. 

“Hello?” Tubbo called. He took another cautious step further into the mini camp. It seemed vastly different from the rest of this place, as if it didn’t fit in quite too well. “Anyone here?” 

“Who are you?” 

Tubbo whipped around with a yelp at the sudden voice behind him, but he froze at the face he was met with. “Tommy?” He wasn’t even sure how he’d known… but, something about this boy that Tubbo couldn’t ignore— it felt like he’d known him all his life. 

Tommy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, what do you want? Did Dream send you?” He walked past Tubbo right into the make-shift camp, so it must’ve belonged to him. 

“Who’s…  _ Dream?”  _

“Bad, then?” 

Tubbo shook his head. “I-I’m… new…?” He said. “I think. I’m Tubbo. I only just woke up in the forest…” 

Tommy frowned at him. “What…? Aren’t you… hired help or something? Like Punz?” 

“I’m… I’m not great at PVP,” TUBBO admitted. “I mean, I’m decent, I guess, but prefer building…” 

Tommy’s questioning, shocked look did not fade. He slowly set down the wood in his hands next to the fire. “What… what do you remember?” 

“About what?” 

Tommy shrugged. “Anything?” 

Tubbo tried to think about it, but the more he did, the more it felt like his brain was being squeezed. He winced, trying to shake the static fuzz that burned in his brain, but it wasn’t working. “Um… n-nothing…” he finally admitted. “Just… waking up in the forest… I-I came looking for help, actually…” 

“Aren’t you freaking out?” 

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Tubbo said. “I’m very confused as well. You were just the first one I saw… I thought you’d might help…” 

“Well, I can’t do much for you there,” Tommy said. “I… woke up here a couple of days ago… or rather, I remember darkness, then running, then I hit my head and passed out, but… you know… same boat…” 

“Oh…” Tubbo rubbed his head. “Can  someone help?  _ Has  _ someone helped?”

Tommy shook his head. “They don’t know much either. I think they’re new to this whole thing… not the game, but… the other thing, right?” 

Tubbo nodded, somehow knowing exactly what he was talking about, but he was unable to quite get a firm grasp on it. “Right… so, we’re just stuck like this…?” 

Tommy nodded unfortunately. “It’s not so bad once you get used to it… it’s hard to miss something when you don’t remember it…” 

Tubbo hummed under his breath and  approached the boy carefully. He reached him and the fire right as Tommy opened the lid to his pot and dumped something in. Tubbo only got a single look inside the pot, but when he did, he could only frown in confusion.  “Is that just…  _ broth?”  _

Tommy slammed the pot closed so quickly, he nearly made Tubbo fall back from the sudden noise. “Leave me be, prick! It’s not my fault I’m not good at hunting!” 

“How can you not be good at hunting?” Tubbo asked. “How have you survived this long?” 

“Hunting is _boring,”_ Tommy muttered. “I usually eat some nuts or berries or something small sometimes, but that’s about it.” 

“And, what’s in this broth?” 

“Erm… Mushrooms?” 

“Mushrooms?” 

“Yeah, can you hear alright?” 

“I just don’t believe my ears is all…” Tubbo frowned and cast a look around the mini-camp. Despite the broth, Tommy seemed to be doing a decent job with it— it was clear he definitely knew how to survive. Somewhat. But, his eyes were ultimately drawn to the basket at the front of the fence-gate, something like a gift basket. “What’s that?” He asked. 

Tommy looked up from staring into the fire to where Tubbo was pointing, then waved his hand. “Don’t worry about that,” he said. “I only usually take the medicine and bandages.” 

Tubbo stood and began curiously heading across the camp towards it. “Why?” 

“Don’t trust ‘em,” Tommy replied like it was obvious. 

“Don’t trust who?” 

“The people who live over there. They’re weird.” 

Tubbo, once again, could not believe his ears. He reached the gift basket and crouched down to it, surprised to find a bunch of food and supplies in there. “They’ve left you a gift basket, that’s seems pretty trustworthy to me. There’s a lot of stuff in here.” 

“Yeah?” 

“There’s a note,” Tubbo said aloud to let Tommy know of its whereabouts. He plucked out the cream colored parchment and opened the note. Messy writing was scribbled across the surface. “Did you know that?” 

“I didn’t read it,” Tommy answered simply. “I’ve been too busy.” 

Too busy or too stubborn, Tubbo  remarked silently to himself. Nonetheless, he flipped open the note and cleared his throat. He was terrible at reading, sure, but it was at least worth a try, right?  _ “It says ‘Tommy, I would've told you this in...  _ person _ , but you were very cu—  _ quick _ to… pu—punch… no,  _ push _ me away, so I’ve…  _ decided _ to write in this letter.”  _

Tommy nodded when Tubbo looked up, patiently awaiting his continuation. 

_ “The… last time I was here to… to  _ _ ready...? Bandages, I noticed that some of your… wounds have reported… no… re… op… n… oh, _ reopened.  _ I’m sure you knew that… that as I had to stitch them back up…? And, I’m sure that might’ve made you... dislike me a bit, but my main… c… concept…? Oh! Concern! Is the blood loss. You told me you’ve been having head-ack,  _ headaches _ and I saw you… stumble a few times, your plus—your  _ pulse _ was a bit fast as well. That’s because your heart is trying to keep up with your body, but you’re… but you’re…”  _

“He’s probably on about me pushing it and the symptoms, too...” Tommy cut in with a sigh of annoyance. “God, he’s something else. Just skip that part. He’s told me about this already. I hate it when he just lists things like this.” 

“Gladly.” Tubbo muttered, happy to  oblige to less reading. _ “‘I’ve left some food for you in the… base… kit…  _ basket _ to try and bring your blood... lever—  _ levels _ up…”  _ he sighed, continuing on.  _ “I’d also like for you to get some rest and…  _ take it easy _ as well. Please try to get better before I… return! Signed… Erm… uh… what the hell?”  _

“It’s BadBoyHalo,” Tommy grumbled. He  leaned back on his log to groan in frustration again. “He’s a real piece of  _ work,  _ Bad is. He’s always over here  _ touching _ me.” 

“Well, he  _ sounds _ like he’s a doctor,” T ubbo said. He folded the note back up with a quiet comment on how he was never going to do  _ that _ again. “I think he’s just trying to help.” 

“He’s an  _ assistant,”  _ Tommy scoffed.  “Though, let me tell you, the main doctor’s worse. He’s all stubborn and mean and shit, and he can’t give me a  _ break.”  _

“Pot meet kettle,” Tubbo rolled his eyes. 

Tommy glared at him. “Yeah, you’re like that, too, aren’t you?” He said, scrunching his nose as Tubbo as he picked up the basket and brought it over to the fire. “A real prick, yeah?” 

Tubbo tried to ignore the comments.  “Listen,” he began. “I don’t know what happened, but if the healers here tell you to do something, you should  _ probably _ listen. They know more than you do in that field.” 

“They’re  _ pricks.”  _

“Yeah, okay,” Tubbo snorted half to  himself as he pulled out some of the supplies left in the basket. “But, they’re still healers. They’re there to help and heal you, not do whatever  _ you’re  _ thinking.” 

Tommy was staring intently at Tubbo’s hands as he pulled the food out, his face slowly growing into a confused frown. “What… what are you doing?” 

“Uh…” Tubbo glanced down at the beef in his hands, not quite how it wasn’t obvious. “Helping?” 

“What are you going to do with that?” 

“Honestly, Tommy, I really don’t think it’s hard to decipher.” 

“You’re not putting that in my _soup,_ are you?” 

Tubbo held his gaze. “Do you have a problem with meat?” 

“No…” 

“With beef?” 

“No…” 

“Do you not like it?” 

“Listen, I like it, but—!” 

Tubbo raised a brow. “Then, what’s the problem? You need to eat this to help yourself, don’t you?” 

“Yeah, but—!” 

“Then, what’s the problem?” 

“Stop interrupting me.”

Tubbo did. 

“I just don’t trust them, alright?” Tommy sighed in exasperation. “That  green prick out there either wants me in his SMP or  _ dead,  _ I swear it.” 

“Green prick?” Tubbo shook his head.  “This is from  _ BadBoyHalo _ , you said? A healer trying to help you? Why would  _ he _ poison you?” 

“Well, he  _ wouldn’t,  _ but what if…?” 

“Yeah?” 

Tommy seemed to frown and mull it  over silently, before eventually he just licked his lips and swallowed. “Fine, put it in,” he said. “If I go down, I’m taking you with me.” 

Tubbo chuckled as he tossed the meat  into the pot. “Wouldn’t you want me getting help?” 

“No, we die like men,” 

Tubbo scoffed a laugh and rolled his  eyes. “Alright, sure.” He pulled the lid off the pot and began shredding the meat into the boiling water, hoping that the heat would take away the germs. He tried to speak with Tommy as he did so. “So, what are you doing up here by yourself anyways? You said there are others, so why don’t you live with them?” 

“I told you I woke up here a few days  ago,” Tommy muttered. “I’m not staying, though…” 

“No?” Tubbo lifted a brow. “Why not?” 

“I’m… I’m not sure…” Tommy admitted.  “I’m running from something, I think… but, I’m not quite sure what it is… or who… all I know is I can’t stay long…” 

“This place looks protected, though,” T ubbo pointed out. “Not  _ everyone _ can just… keep a place like this safe without work and knowledge… these people seem like they know what they’re doing…” 

“Yeah…” Tommy sighed. “I don’t know. I’m not fond of these people. They’re nice, sure… but, I don’t quite fit in I guess…” 

“I think I saw an armory on the way  over as well,” Tubbo added. “That’s... I mean, they  _ are  _ protected…” 

“I know,” Tommy said. He pointed back behind into the cave where Tubbo could vaguely see a chest and a pathetic bed. “I stole some stuff to get myself started.” 

“Oh, wow, I didn’t know you had a chest…” Tubbo muttered. 

“What’s that’s supposed to mean.” 

Tubbo shrugged. “You don’t seem…  _ too  _ organized…” he said earnestly. “I mean, you’re holding up well, don’t get me wrong, it’s impressive, you’re doing better than I am, but it’s… a little  _ messy.”  _

“What the hell, man?” 

“I’m sorry, I’m just saying,” Tubbo shot back. 

Tommy didn’t seem too offended, more  like teasingly so, but he continued on. “Yeah, I’m leaving soon,  _ Dick.  _ Thanks for asking. _ ”  _

Tubbo laughed again, but quickly stopped himself. He had matters at hand, didn’t he? He’d found someone, sure, possibly the one he’d been looking for, but he’d found no answers from him. “Hey, Tommy…” 

“Mm-hmm?” 

“Does anyone else live here…? Erm, well, you said more did, right?” Tubbo frowned. “Anyone who could maybe help a bit?” 

“Oh…” Tommy scratched his head as he  stared off into the distance towards the rest of the lands here. “They’re around here  _ somewhere…  _ actually, wait, I might know where they are. It’s around noon, they might be meeting over some shit.” 

“Meeting?” 

“Yeah, like a community thing. I can take you to them.” 

“Alright. Why aren’t _you_ there?” Tubbo asked. “You live here, too, don’t you?” 

Tommy shrugged and stood up from the log he’d claimed as his own. “Yeah, there's a few reasons for that. I don’t like them, they don’t like me, I don’t actually live here, and I’m staying temporarily. I might be gone by the end of the week or something.” 

“Why the end of the week?” 

“They gave me a time limit, but let’s be  honest, they can’t restrain me if they tried. I’m a big man, I take orders from  _ no one…”  _

Tubbo at last surrendered a slight frown at that comment, but nonetheless, he continued on. “So… who are they?” 

“Uh…” Tommy rested his finger on his chin in thought. “Well, there’s this one guy named Bad that just shouts at you when you curse. He’s been giving me the baskets, though, so I guess I don’t mind him. Him and the doctor guy, they helped with redoing the bandages, I don’t know what I’m doing to be honest.” 

“They seem nice,” Tubbo said. “They sound like they’ve helped you.” 

“I guess…” Tommy waved his hand absently as if he couldn’t be bothered by it. “Oh—and then there’s Sapnap— oh god, I hate Sapnap, he just wants to fight everything, he’s so aggressive and annoying.” 

“What kind of name is Sapnap?” 

Tommy scoffed and laughed out loud, it was a loud, boisterous sound that Tubbo jumped slightly at. “Right? They've all Just been fighting over this lemon tree—!” 

_ “Lemon tree?”  _

Tommy shook his head, bits of dirt flew  from his blonde hair. “Long story. Sapnap burned down a tree and now the owner of the tree is upset with him… oh! And, there’s a woman here, too. Only her, though. I hate women, did you know? They so…  _ womanly… _ and then there’s this really silent guy, too, he’s kinda creepy, but he’s nowhere near compared to the owner of this place. He’s class one creep, he’s evil, you know? A real piece of work.” 

A shiver shot down Tubbo’s spine. “Oh.  What’s  _ his _ name?” 

“Dream.” 

“Is that the one you were talking about earlier?” 

“Yeah. We should probably go to him for  help, though, I suppose, he  _ is _ in charge. He’s annoying, though, with his god complex. He’s the one who told me I had a week to stay or go. But, like I said, I’m a big man, though, I’ll go when I want to.” 

“So…  _ where  _ are we going again?” 

Tommy pointed forwards with a single finger after they’d been walking down the same direction on the wooden path. “That’s the community house,” he said. “They have meetings and shit in there, I think.” 

Tubbo turned his head to find a large building in the middle of a lake made mostly of brick and stone. Around the middle of the build, windows filled with water were visible. Plants hung down in front of the rest of the lighted windows, yet, despite that, he couldn’t even see inside. “They’re in there?” 

“Must be,” Tommy replied. “The lights are They meet a lot there. Have been more and more each day actually.” 

“Why do you think that is?” Tubbo asked nervously. 

Tommy shrugged. “They fight with each other over stupid things. This might be their lemon tree issue again or maybe someone stole someone’s flower or some shit.” 

Tubbo wasn’t quite sure why the cold sense of dread suddenly crept into his gut, but he regarded it nonetheless. “Why do they have so many issues?” 

“Hell if  _ I  _ know!” Tommy threw up his  hands in exasperation. “They’re  _ all _ idiots if you ask—!” 

A whoosh cut through the night and suddenly, both boys were frozen in their tracks as an arrow landed in the boardwalk an inch away from them. 

“State your business,” a voice called from above. 

Tubbo craned his neck up to see a man in full diamond armour with a crossbow in hand. The look in his eyes was nothing short of threatening. 

“What the hell?” Tommy demanded. “Who do you think you are—?” 

“State your business.” the man said coldly. He drew another arrow in his crossbow, its tip went to point down at Tubbo’s chest, but Tommy was quick to step forwards to stand in front of him. 

“Who the hell are _you?”_ The blonde haired boy demanded. 

The string on the crossbow grew taught, but before it could fire, a different voice shouted from beyond the man. 

“That’s enough, Punz!” 

Tubbo stiffened ar the sudden voice. He was shocked to find a man in a green hoodie and a white mask walking into view beyond the guard. An axe was strapped to this one’s back amongst the armour, he didn’t look much less threatening. Somehow, though, he was familiar to Tubbo, though he wasn’t quite sure why. 

“It’s alright, I know him.” 

Punz lowered the crossbow and, just as quickly, the green man jumped down from the roof, landing hard on the wooden ground in front of Tommy. 

“So, I see you’ve changed your mind about leaving, Tommy?” 

Tommy sneered at him, a look filled with such disgust, Tubbo was shocked the man didn’t take offense to it. “Think again, Dick,” he spat. “That’s not why I’m here.” 

Dream suddenly paused, his mask had shifted slightly to the right and now focused on the figure standing slightly behind Tommy. He stiffened noticeably, almost as if dumbfounded. “Uh… Who’s your friend?” 

“Um…” at last, Tubbo stepped forwards and offered out a hand. “My name is Tubbo… I don’t really know where I am…” 

_“Tubbo…?”_ Dream shook his head slightly, then slowly and awkwardly crossed his arms. “Yeah, of course, Tubbo… This... this is the Dream SMP. Where are you from?” 

Tubbo grimaced and swallowed. How was he supposed to respond? Would they believe him if he told him he didn’t remember? 

“He’s the same as I,” Tommy remarked after he’d finally decided to step in. “Can’t remember a thing about jack shit.” 

“Ah…” Dream almost seemed to relax a bit, at least the tension in his shoulders faded. At last, he stuck out a hand, it was covered with fingerless gloves. “I’m Dream, but I’m sure he’s mentioned that already.” 

Tubbo shook his hand, somehow that  didn’t quite sound right, but he decided it really wasn’t worth questioning. “Yeah, probably,” he chuckled slightly. “He does talk a  _ lot.”  _

“Hey!” 

“So, do you have any idea why I’m here?” Tubbo asked, disregarding Tommy’s complaint completely. “I’ve only just woken up in the forest without a clue of anything. Is that normal?” 

“I don’t think amnesia is normal, no,”  Dream said with what sounded like no remorse or care about it. “ I really wish I could answer your question… but, I couldn’t help— I’m not sure anyone could. I… erm, I started this SMP to hang out with my friends, I don’t know how or why you two are here.” 

“What’s _that_ guy, then?” Tommy asked and nodded up to the man still staring down at them like they were prey. “An illusion?” 

“That’s Punz, he’s a friend of mine,” Dream said. “He didn’t come from the woods. He’s hired help.” 

“The hired  _ vulture,  _ you mean _?”  _

An arrow shot down from the roof of the building and landed just as Tommy’s feet. Tommy stumbled back into Tubbo, but managed to right himself just before he fell. “Dickhead!” He shouted up at Punz. 

Punz drew back another arrow, but Dream held up a hand before he could fire. 

“He’s here for protection,” Dream said. “Unlike you two, who we have yet to gather any information on.” 

At last, Tubbo felt the cold grip of nervousness latch onto him. The night air suddenly felt like an ice bath against his skin. 

Tommy seemed to feel it too, he suddenly shuddered and took a slight step closer to Tubbo. “And… what do you need protection from?” 

“Honestly?” The never-changing stare of Dream’s mask seemed to add a whole meaning to the word menacing as it slid over to stare at the taller boy. “Whatever it is that you two are running from.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Emmy again! Sorry this chapter is a little late, some things came up lol.   
> Anyways, thank you so much for reading this and, as always, comments are always appreciated!   
> Have a beautiful day! <3


	6. Stolen

Tubbo wasn’t sure where he’d picked up  his buildings skills from, but he was thankful for them nonetheless. 

He’d since decided that living with  Tommy would’ve been too much of a hassle and, truth be told, he did like a bit of peace sometimes. Not to mention, the two’s ideas of ideal homes didn’t match up very well. So, that being said, Tubbo had starting building his own humble abode of wood in the closest patch of land he could find near Tommy’s place. 

Of course, with Tommy now having  decided to stay in the SMP with Tubbo, his area of living had started looking less and less like a camp and more and more like a permanent home. Tubbo had been over a few times this week to help out, though he was never one to be  _ too  _ pushy, no matter how much he thought the place looked…  _ shabby.  _ It  _ was  _ Tommy’s home after all, Tubbo didn’t really have a place to speak. 

Just as Tubbo was putting the finishing  touches on his roof, the thing in his pocket, what he believed was called a Communicator, suddenly buzzed. Tubbo paused in his task and curiously pulled it out, but that curiosity soon faded to confusion when he saw the message. It was from Alyssa, someone he didn’t actually know all too well… and, the  _ last _ person he expected a message from. 

ItsAlyssa: ‘Come to my house. Now.’ 

Tubbo_: ‘Are you okay?’

ItsAlyssa: ‘GET OVER HERE!’ 

Tubbo winced at the sudden urgency.  Surely she couldn’t have been in trouble because why would she contact  _ him?  _ The only other reasonable explanation was that  _ he  _ was in trouble… for what, he wasn’t sure, but he figured it was best to see what was going on? 

So, ignoring the voice in the back of his  head that scolded him for whatever little thing he’d done recently, he made his way back to the ground. He placed his supplies in his nearest chest, then started heading down the wooden path outside his house, a path dubbed ‘The Prime Path’ by Tommy and some others, though Tubbo had little idea what that meant. 

He passed by a couple of people on his  way to her home, though didn’t pause and even acknowledge besides a small wave in their direction. They seemed happy enough to see him, Tubbo didn’t like it when he was disliked. It always gave him such a hollow feeling in his chest. 

Of course, that being said, he didn’t  feel very welcome in the SMP either. He felt most at home with Tommy surprisingly, though he had no idea why. Everyone was nice, sure, but Tubbo still had to pretend he didn’t see the weary looks they gave him. He was still a mystery to them, in the most honest sense, they were all friends and he was an amnesiac foreigner. He supposed  _ that  _ might’ve been why he got on so well with Tommy. They were both in the same boat. 

Tubbo kept his eyes mostly low to the  ground and he crossed the SMP, heading for Altssa’s house. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation now. The truth was Tubbo hadn’t actually met Alyssa before, given the slight look he might’ve exchanged the other day. He didn’t know what to expect by heading over to her home—  _ why  _ did she need him there? 

As Tubbo neared her home, he spotted  her outside in the front lawn, pacing almost  _ angrily.  _ A pit of worry formed in his stomach, but when he suddenly stopped, that’s what she noticed him. A single, quick motion was all was all it took for him to stumble to her panickedly. 

“I know you have them.” Was the first thing Alyssa said without a single proper greeting when he reached her. 

“Erm… what?” Tubbo asked, genuinely confused. “Have what?”

“Don’t act  _ coy  _ with me,” Alyssa spat. “I  saw you two working around here yesterday.  _ Snooping,  _ more like probably.” 

“We were only gathering supplies—!” 

“I know you stole my diamonds!” 

At last, Tubbo dropped the neutral face to instead settle on a confused frown. “Diamonds?” He asked again, just to make sure he’d heard her correctly. Part of him was offended for the accusations, but he was mostly confused over all. “No, I haven’t touched any diamonds. I haven’t even found any here yet.” 

“No? Then, why have mine gone missing the second you two leave my property?” 

“No, I didn’t touch your diamonds,”  Tubbo said back to her. “I swear on it, Tommy and I were only gathering supplies for our houses. We…  _ I  _ don’t need your diamonds…” 

Alyssa scoffed. “What? So now you’re a  thief  _ and  _ a liar, huh?” 

“What? No—!” 

Alyssa lurched forwards and grabbed ahold of Tubbo’s forearm sharply. It didn’t hurt when she began half-dragging him back down the path, only more startled him.

“What are you doing?” Tubbo demanded, though still let himself be pulled along. 

Alyssa shot him a cold look over her shoulder, then pulled her own communicator out of her pocket. “Getting Dream,” she said. “He’ll know how to handle you.” 

_ “Handle  _ me?” 

Alyssa let out a curt puff of breath and continued on without a word. 

It wasn’t long before the community house finally came into view from the path. Though, as much as Alyssa had prompted it, no one seemed to be in there. 

Tubbo’s first thought was that Dream had simply decided not to show, but then he remembered it was Dream. Right as he realized this, something dark green suddenly flew through the air over his head, then landed on the roof of the house with a pop. In its place, a familiar green man in armour stood. 

“Dream!” Alyssa called up to him. 

Dream turned in the direction and, upon noticing them, headed up to the edge of the building. “What’s the problem?” He asked briefly. 

Alyssa threw Tubbo forwards like he was a criminal, then pointed a harsh finger at him. “He took my diamonds, Dream!” She shouted. “He stole them yesterday when he was around my house!” 

“I didn’t,” Tubbo added. “I have yet to find diamonds here, I don’t have any diamond armor, nor anywhere I could hide them. I’m still working on the area for my house.” 

Dream crossed his arms over his chest, then, after a moment of silence, sighed in defeat. “I’ll meet you inside,” he said. 

When he disappeared on the roof again, Alyssa pushed Tubbo forwards harshly, not enough to hurt him, but enough to get him moving. Tubbo pushed open the doors to the community house and headed in, the girl wasn’t far behind. 

“Was he the only one near your house yesterday?” Dream said from where he was walking down the staircase. “Maybe this was a misunderstanding…” 

“Him and his friend that I know of! But, these two, they’re bad news! It’s not natural for two kids to come walking out of the woods seemingly from nowhere.” 

“Hm.” Dream’s mask slid from Tubbo,to Alyssa, then back again. Then, after a moment of silence, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black device: his communicator. 

“What are you doing?” Alyssa demanded. “I think diamonds are more valuable than a tree and a measuring contest between Ponk and Sapnap, no?” 

“Relax,” Dream muttered. “You said  Tubbo  _ and  _ Tommy were at your house yesterday, didn’t you?” 

“Yeah, but—!” 

“So, I’m calling Tommy over to discuss.” 

“He won’t answer,” Tubbo thought now would be the best time to say it. “He doesn’t like you.” 

Dream seemed unbothered by the fact. He still sent the message, but looked up at Tubbo once it was gone. “You call him, then,” he said. “He might listen to you.” 

“Now?” 

“We don’t have all day,” Alyssa snapped at him. 

Tubbo raised his hands in surrender briefly, then reached for his own communicator, much like Dream had done. He typed in the proper command to message only Tommy, then sent his request. 

Tubbo_: ‘come to comunity house.’

A moment later, Tommy responded, as quickly as the message had been sent. 

Tommyinnit: ‘why?’ 

Tubbo_: ‘please just come.’ 

This time, the message took just a bit longer to receive, most likely on Tommy’s part as he debated it. But, after a tense moment of silence, the communicator buzzed again. 

Tommyinnit: ‘ok’ 

“It’s sent,” TUBBO informed the two others in the room. 

“Good,” Dream continued on. “Now, you both tell me your side’s of the story here, okay?” 

“I left my home yesterday to help Ponk with something and I passed by him and his friends on my way out. I said hi to them, y’know, because I’m friendly, then moved on.” Alyssa glared daggers at him as she continued and Tubbo was sure, if she were able, she’d stab him. “I get back home and find my diamonds to be gone— the only logical explanation is him or Tommy, they were the only ones who knew I left. I was with Ponk, Callahan wouldn’t steal from me, George siehst need to steal, Bad is too nice, you’re too prideful, and Sapnap…” 

“He doesn’t have anything against you?” 

“Sure.” 

“Alright.” Dream looked over at Tubbo. “And, you?” 

“I’m building a house and yesterday I went to go get supplies with Tommy. There were trees over there that he wanted so something, so I said I didn’t mind. We got our supplies, then went straight home.” 

“Did you see anyone else around her place?” 

Tubbo shook his head. “It was just us…” 

“Uh…” 

Both parties were drawn to the door where a new voice had interrupted. Tommy stood in the open doorway to the house, a hand restraint on his sword hilt, simply staring. 

“What the hell is this?” 

“Tommy, come in,” Dream said without hesitation. 

Tommy looked over to Tubbo, but Tubbo had no answers to offer him. He simply shrugged and beckoned him forwards softly. “What’s this about?” 

“Tommy, remember how we were around Alyssa’s hone yesterday for supplies?” Tubbo asked. 

Tommy glanced at him oddly, his expression a mixture of careful emotions. “...why…?” 

“I know one of you two stole my  diamonds,” Alyssa cut in. “And, now you’re  _ both  _ playing coy, aren't you?” 

Tommy crossed his arms over his chest.  “Is that why I’m here? To be questioned about  _ diamonds?”  _

“If it’s not Tubbo, then it must’ve been you!” Alyssa crowed and pointed a finger harshly at the two boys. 

Tommy looked over a Tubbo  questioningly, a single eyebrow raised, then glared back at Alyssa. “Why were you messing with  _ Tubbo _ ?” 

_ “You _ two were the  _ only _ ones near my  house yesterday,” Alyssa responded.  _ “I’m  _ the one who should be upset because he’s a thief!” 

“He is not!” 

“And, how do  _ you  _ know that for sure?” 

At last, Tommy’s mouth snapped shut. He took an uncomfortable step away from Alyssa, his eyes darting nervously from Tubbo to Dream. “I just… do…” 

It was at that point something suddenly clicked in Tubbo’s mind at the boy’s suspiciousness. At first, he’d thought Alyssa had simply misplaced them, but the longer this continued, the more he thought otherwise. 

Dream finally stepped forwards.  “Tommy,” he began slowly. “Did  _ you _ steal her diamonds?” 

“Uh… no…” Tommy said, he locked his gaze with Dream’s, as if trying to seem more confident than he must’ve been. “No… it must’ve been Tubbo.” 

_ “What—?”  _ Tubbo demanded. He fell  silent when Dream held up a hand to him, but couldn’t help the surge of hurt that flooded through him. Was Tommy  _ framing  _ him? 

“Tubbo, can you prove you don’t have the diamonds?” 

“You can check my inventory and my chests, but I don’t have them! I’ve never even touched a diamond here before!” 

“Can you  _ prove  _ it—?” 

“Hold on, Dream,” Alyssa, for the first time since they’d gotten here, spoke calmly, almost threateningly so. Her gaze was locked on the person beside Tubbo, or rather, the person who’d once been beside Tubbo. 

Tommy had been slowly backing away from the fight, but upon noticing the eyes on him, he paused. 

“Where are they?” Dream demanded. 

“I told you, I don’t have them!” Tommy exclaimed. “Tubbo can tell you!” 

Tubbo remained silent. He most likely would’ve stood up for him earlier, but after hearing what he had to say in response to this helped keep his mouth shut. Tommy had only been framing him so far.

Suddenly, Dream reached behind himself and grabbed the axe that was strapped there. Tubbo and everyone else for that matter, took a few good steps away, but Tommy stood his ground. 

“I don’t have them.” The boy said. “Then, why do you look like you’re ready to leave?” 

“I have… _stuff_ to do!” Tommy shot back. “Mind your own business.” 

“Do I have to check your inventory?” Dream said and held the axe closer. “It’s painful, but it won’t completely kill you.” 

Tommy placed a protective arm across his chest and eyed the axe wearily. “You don’t need to go that far to prove a point, Dick. Even if you did, you wouldn’t find anything, I _don’t_ _have_ _them.”_

“Y’know, Tommy, since you’re so adamant about saying that,” SAPNAP cut in. “You wouldn’t mind if… say Alyssa and Ponk escorted you to your base to have a look in your chests?” 

“Is… that _really_ necessary?” Tommy asked cautiously. 

_ “I  _ think it is,” Dream said. Tubbo  couldn’t help but agree, though he’d never  _ outright _ say it. 

“That does sound completely fair to me,” Alyssa added. 

Ponk nodded as well. 

“If you have nothing to hide, what’s the issue?” Tubbo asked. 

“Uh, my privacy!” Tommy snapped. “Who  are  _ you  _ to get involved in this? You’re jumping on me for  _ what _ reason?” 

“You seemed _very_ quick to jump on me,” Tubbo responded and lifted a brow. 

Tommy, after a hurtful look towards Tubbo, finally relinquished. “Fine…” he grumbled. “Yeah, go check my chests and shit or whatever.” 

Dream nodded. He placed his axe back in its original spot, but right as he made a move to go forwards, something in his pocket suddenly buzzed. He paused and pulled out his communicator, but when he looked down at the screen, he frowned. “Um… you guys go ahead,” he said. “I have to deal with something right now.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry the chapter is a bit late, I’m babysitting and just put the kids to bed lmao!   
> Anyways, hope you’ve enjoyed reading this chapter! As always leaving anything you’d like to say in the comments below!   
> Have a great day! <3


	7. Allegations

Tommy wasn’t sure how the hell he was going to escape this— much less, how he was going to manage this. He still had no idea what they were talking about. He didn’t have diamonds, at least none that he was aware of. But… he  _ had  _ been forgetting things lately… perhaps he’d done it and forgotten? Why would he, though? Why would Tubbo even let him? If he somehow had those diamonds, would they throw him in jail? Tommy didn’t know. 

He kept his eyes constantly sweeping the  area as he was led down the prime path by Ponk, Alyssa and, in turn,  _ Tubbo  _ as well. The cheating little pricks. He’d already tried reasoning, already tried bargaining, but nothing had been working. They were determined, that was for sure. 

Tommy was jolted out of thought by the sound of a shout of alarm from Ponk beside him. The man had leapt back from the path and now stared at Tommy in shock. 

“Look out!” 

Tommy turned at just the right time to see a sword coming down on him, then, all of a sudden, he was falling. He hit the ground with a resounding thud that seemed to echo through him. His vision flashed to darkness briefly as some of the worst pain he’d ever felt enveloped him. 

His head throbbed, his body throbbed painfully in time with his slow, pounding heartbeat. It felt like all of his energy had been drained out of him, like there was an open wound on him that was bleeding despite that not seeming to be the case. 

Tommy was sure his eyes were open, but he could only see darkness. The world around him seemed to fly by at an alarming speed, as if he were falling through their air. Despite everything, however, he couldn’t even find the energy to move. 

It was like a piece of him was being torn away, one that he didn’t even recognize. Like a rope had been tied to something in his chest and had begun to pull with all it’s might. 

Tommy felt as if something snapped, then all of a sudden, his eyes flew open and he jackknifed into a sitting position. He gasped and coughed sharply as if he’d been underwater. The aches never left his body as he looked around, trying to regain his composure. 

He was sitting in the grass off to the side of the prime path. In front of him, through the mesh of colours, he was able to make out a figure standing a few feet away, almost protecting him: Tubbo. Beyond that, three more figures swam into view… Ponk, Alyssa, and Sapnap. They were arguing. 

_ “What does he have to do with this…?”  _

“That’s none of your business, Ponk!” Sapnap shouted back. “If you would mind your own, you’d discover something that’s so much more important than this conversation.” 

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” 

“If I were you, Ponk, I would check on your home.” 

Ponk seemed to freeze at that comment and everyone’s heads whipped in the direction of his house. 

Tommy followed their gazes much more slowly and a pang of shock flooded through him at the sight of smoke. What did Sapnap have to do with that? 

Within a minute, Ponk and Alyssa were racing off to deal with it, their task with Tommy now forgotten. After a stern look from Sapnap, Tubbo followed. 

When Tommy tried to push himself off the ground, he hadn’t made it a foot before Sapnap suddenly appeared beside him and he fell back painfully. 

“Just stay there for a minute,” Sapnap told him, his voice sickeningly helpful. “Let your body recover.” 

“Recover from what?” Tommy snapped. “What the hell are you going on about?” 

“It kind of feels like dying, but it’s not _quite_ the same thing,” Sapnap said. “It just drains you and makes you vulnerable… it takes something as well….” 

Tommy silently remarked that what he was talking about must’ve been what he’d just experienced. Death with no dying, he supposed. “Takes what?” 

“A piece of you, we think,” Sapnap replied. “You can’t die here easily— when you experience The Tug, it’s kind of like a shield protecting you from death is pulled away—?” 

“What?” Tommy demanded and, just as  quickly, was scooting fearfully away from the man.  _ “You  _ did that,  _ why  _ did you do that?” 

“So, you couldn’t run,” Sapnap answered simply. “I need to talk to you.” 

“You killed me because you wanted totalk? Why didn’t you just ask? What got taken away—?” 

“Oh, _relax,”_ Sapnap cut in briefly. “You have a lot of mini-lives. Unless something momentous happens, you’ll be fine.” At last, he offered a hand down to Tommy, but Tommy defiantly ignored it. 

“What the hell do you want from me,  Bitch?” He snapped. “Did you  _ burn something down  _ to  _ talk _ to me?” 

Sapnap shrugged innocently. “That was more to get at Ponk, but it did work to separate you, which I needed… unless you wanted them to realize you have the diamonds?” 

“I-I—what?” Tommy sputtered. “I do  not!” He truly didn’t think he had any diamonds, to tell the truth, but no one seemed to be listening to him. He didn’t remember ever taking  _ anyone’s  _ diamonds. 

“Uh-huh, sure,” Sapnap rolled his eyes. “And, I didn’t burn down Ponk’s house as a distraction.” 

Tommy finally found enough energy to begin trying to stand. He stumbled almost immediately, but when Sapnap reached to help him, he was filled with defiant energy, and pushed the man away. “What the hell could you possibly want from me?” 

Sapnap blinked at him as if it were obvious, but continued on nonetheless. “Your allegiance.” 

“My  _ allegiance?”  _

“Are you just going to repeat everything I say?” 

“None of it makes sense!” Tommy shot back. “You're speaking nonsense, I swear I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!” 

Sapnap shrugged. “I need your help getting back at him, so are you in?” 

He stepped forwards and Tommy  instinctively reached for his sword. However, he was quickly met with empty air where he usually kept it. He felt unusually light, almost as if  _ everything  _ was missing. He soon learned that to be true as well. “Hey! Where are all my things?” 

“You drop them when you die.” 

_ “What?”  _

“Don’t worry, I have them.” 

“Why do  _ you  _ have them?” 

“I needed to get your attention,” Sapnap told him. “I need your help, Tommy, I need you on my side to help me end this stupid conflict once and for all.” 

Tommy swallowed and tried  to make himself seem taller. “Your conflict against Ponk, you mean? Over a house or something?” 

Sapnap nodded once, the glint in his eye didn’t go unnoticed. “He needs to learn what what happens when he messes with me.” 

“What about the fire?” 

“That’s different,” Sapnap said. “That was a distraction to get you on my side. So,” he stuck out a hand. “Are you in?” 

Tommy opened his mouth to decline, but suddenly remembered the conflict he, himself, had been involved in before Sapnap had ‘killed’ him. He was being forcibly dragged to his home because he’d been accused of stealing. Something he was sure he didn’t do. 

“You know what, Sapnap?” Tommy met the man’s eye sternly, then reached out and shook the man’s hand. “Those bitches need to learn their lesson. If I can have my stuff back, I’ll join you,” 

Sapnap smirked deviously. “Deal.” 

~ * ~

The longer Tommy spent with Sapnap, the more confident he became. He liked Sapnap, he supposed, at least more than he liked Dream. Sapnap didn’t coddle, as much as he was annoying in other areas. Tommy supposed he was more tolerable than most other people here… besides Tubbo at least. 

It wasn’t long before they reached their destination, Tommy was shocked to find Tubbo among the three below them as they stood atop the hill unmoving. 

He didn’t  _ want  _ to fight Tubbo, but… all  was fair in love  _ and  _ war… where had he heard that before? 

“Ponk!” Sapnap called down to the three below them. “We’ve come to fight!” 

Ponk, Alyssa, and Tubbo all turned from where they’d been examining the wreckage, their faces twisted in confusion. 

“Sapnap.” Ponk greeted coldly upon seeing the other man. “I see you’ve brought help…” 

“Tommy?” Tubbo seemed genuinely confused. “What are you doing here?” 

“I’m helping, what’s it look like?” Tommy asked and gripped his sword tighter. “Want to wrongfully accuse me now?” 

“Wrongfully accuse?” Alyssa frowned at him. “We’re— Tommy, we know you have them, you can drop the act!” 

Tommy opened his mouth to continue on, but Sapnap held an arm across his chest to silence him. 

“We’re here on terms of Ponk and I’d conflict, not whatever you were dragging Tommy into.” 

“Right,” Ponk said. “Because _you_ haven’t dragged him into anything.” 

“He _wants_ to be here,” Sapnap said. “Don’t you, Tommy?” 

Tommy nodded. “Yeah, Bitch! Look at me now!” 

“You’ll hurt yourself, Tommy,” Ponk deadpanned. 

“I’ll hurt you first!” 

Ponk and Alyssa exchanged a look and a silent agreement seemed to pass through them. Their faces darkened with determination as they drew their swords. 

“Very well,” Ponk said. Then, without much other warning, the two charged. 

With similar looks exchanged, both Sapnap and Tommy leaped down to meet them halfway. 

Alyssa reached the two attacked and Sapnap first, her eyes gleaming. While Sapnap went about fighting her off, Tommy went for Ponk. 

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Ponk said when the two found each other face-to-face. 

“That’s a shame,” Tommy shot back. “Because I want to hurt you!” He thrust out with his sword, but Ponk was quick to parry it. 

“I’m serious, Tommy. You got here, what? Last week? How’s your head anyways?” 

Tommy rolled his eyes, not at all wanting to get into it. He attacked Ponk again, an answer on its own, and the so-called healer stumbled back. 

“Tommy—!” 

“For fuck’s sake, Man!” Tommy shouted  in frustration.  _ “Fight me!”  _

That was all it took. Though a remorseful expression was quick to cross Ponk’s face, at last, he attacked. 

For a healer, Tommy noticed that Ponk was decent at sword fighting. Good enough to match him anyways. It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle it, only that he wasn’t expecting it. With them so evenly matched, it really made it more fun. 

Tommy fought tooth-and-nail against the man, his adrenaline beginning to pump faster and faster with each swing. He dodged and parried the blade aimed for his head with ease, his attacks were controlled and quick. It was a small that he was good at, but had no idea why. Thigh, he supposed with this new life, that was a common occurrence. That was, until Ponk got the upper hand. 

Tommy should’ve seen it coming, truth be told. He should’ve noted the brief cringe that crossed Ponk’s face and the hesitance in his blow, he should’ve recalled just who’d helped him alone when he arrived here. 

Other than that, Tommy saw no warnings until the act was finished. Ponk kicked his foot against Tommy’s rib, right in the spot that had caused him so much pain. 

Right away, Tommy gasped sharply, his body reacted against the sudden pain that flooded through him, his sword nearly dropped from his grasp. He stumbled back in shock while his lungs spasmed in a mini-shock. 

“Are you done?” Ponk asked above him. His voice was infuriatingly triumphant. 

Tommy glared up at him and, despite his coughing, he met Ponk’s eye dangerously. “Never.” 

Ponk raised his sword unfortunately again as soon as the words had left Tommy‘s mouth. 

Tommy closed his eyes and braced himself, but the blow never came. The sound of metal against metal ran through his ears and, when Tommy opened his eyes, he found his recent ally standing beside him. 

“Sapnap, why did you drag him into this?” Ponk demanded angrily. 

Sapnap snorted. “I didn’t _drag_ him anywhere.” 

Tommy grinned as he got ahold of  breath again and stood up. He wiped his arm across his face in an effort to wipe away the wetness that had formed there. “That’s right, Bitch,” he said to Ponk. “I’m here because I  _ wanna _ be.” 

“Shit.” Ponk raised his sword, his eyes wide as the two closed in on him as one. “Now this doesn’t seem like a fair fight.” 

Sapnap grinned. “It’s not.” Then, just like that, the two attacked. 

Ponk raised his sword to block Sapnap’s blow, but that’s when Tommy came in from his open spots. The man’s foot kicked out to try and kicked him again, but Tommy saw it coming any easily dodged. 

True to his nature, Ponk did hold his own. However, it was only a matter of time before karma caught up with him. 

Tommy had never actually fought with Sapnap  before, but after seeing what he was like, he hoped he would never spar him. Ever. Though he would never admit it, Sapnap was  _ good  _ at sword-fighting _.  _ Scarily good. 

Every hit seemed to hype him up, every block and dodge seemed to make him go harder, faster. Ponk never stood a chance with both men fighting him. 

After what felt like at least five minutes of fighting, this time, Tommy and Sapnap got the upper hand. Ponk left himself open and they both noticed. Without a word exchanged, they bearded onto him, knocking him to the floor. 

Tommy leapt forwards to deal the final  blow, but was suddenly halted dead in his tracks by the hand that shot out to stop him. He stumbled back, nearly landing on his butt, as Dream stepped in between him and Ponk. 

“What’s going on here?” Dream demanded, his posture was tense, ready. “Why are you going after Ponk?” 

“Move, Dream!” Sapnap shouted. “You don’t need to get involved!” 

“The hell I don’t!” Dream exclaimed. “You’re attacking—!” 

Before Dream could finish, Tommy did just that. With a hearty cry of ‘green bitch’ at the top of his lungs, he charged Dream. Sapnap wasn’t far behind. 

This time, it was Dream that stumbled back in surprise. With no weapon to fight back with, he went down easily. It wasn’t long before he hit the ground with a thud, his hand still reaching for his weapon. 

“Yeah!” Sapnap cheered. He rose his sword into the air with another triumphant whoop. 

Tommy did the same. The adrenaline rush that followed the fight was amazing, unlike anything he’d ever felt before. “Take that, you green Bitch!” He crowed and pointed his own sword done at Dream’s prone body. 

“Come on, Tommy!” Sapnap called to him with newfound enthusiasm. “Let’s make sure the rest stay down!” 

Tommy nodded determinedly, grinning dangerously as he followed Sapnap back out onto the main field. There, he was quickly met with the end of Alyssa’s sword, though this time, he was ready. 

Tommy planted his feet in the grass and blocked the incoming blow before it could hit him. He paried it off to the side, then raised his on sword to strike. 

Alyssa was ready for that, though, and she ducked out of the way quickly. Then, while Tommy’s sword was still in the air, she brought her sword harshly against his side. 

Tommy yelped, but jumped back to avoid more damage. He raised his sword, aiming for the dude of the girl’s shoulder, but she saw that coming. 

Alyssa was quick, he would give that much to her. She dodged out of the way of his sword, then as quick as a bullet, she thirsted hers out towards him. 

The sword gazed Tommy’s side and he felt himself stumble. A warm feeling slwy began growing at his side, but it was nowhere near enough to make him stop. He charged at her again, but Alyssa stepped out of the way. 

Tommy felt the sword slam into him one last time before he suddenly lost the ability to stand. His legs collapsed from under him and he fell into the familiar darkness once again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it’s Emmy again!   
> Thank you for reading another chapter! I hope you’re enjoying this story as much as I’m enjoying writing it! :D   
> Anyways, comments, questions, concerns, and theories are always appreciated and they help a lot!   
> Have a nice day! <3<3


	8. Admit

This time, however, Tommy fought against the strands of his consciousness back to the light. It felt as if he were dragging a bag of sand behind him as he did so, but he pushed on nonetheless. 

When Tommy’s eyes finally popped open, he was still as he heaved in heavy breaths. He laid on the ground, too exhausted to even stand anymore. He stared up at the sky, for a moment only trying to catch his breath. 

The sound of movement beside him made him flinch back into reality and his grip tightened on his sword. Before he could even get around to standing, though, Alyssa’s voice cut through the silence. 

“Truce!” She shouted. “I don’t want to fight you guys anymore!” 

Oh, _finally._ Tommy collapsed back onto the ground, but rolled his head around to see what had become of everyone else. Tubbo was okay, that was all he really cared about. 

Most of everyone was slowly peeling themselves off the ground, their eyes darting around cautiously at the others to see if they’d attack. However, everyone seemed to be in mutual agreement that enough was enough. 

Tommy voted to remain on the ground,  simply trying to catch his breath and regather himself. He’d  _ ‘died’  _ about 2-3 today and it was still his first time experiencing that he remembered. He supposed it could’ve felt worse, but it still exhaustingly hurt. The ground was much nicer anyways.

“Tommy.” 

“...fuck’s sake?” Tommy turned his head  to see Alyssa with a crossbow pointed down at him. Her expression was stony, serious…  _ done.  _

“Are you willing to admit you stole my diamonds and give them back?” 

Tommy glared at her as he slowly dragged his body up into a sitting position. “I've told you time and time again. I don’t have your diamonds. I don’t know where they are.” 

Alyssa drew back the cross row string taught, threatening. “Drop the act.” 

“It’s not an act.” Tommy moved to grab his own weapon, but once again, found himself empty and useless. He tried to scoot back, but a noise behind him alerted him that moving wasn’t a good idea. 

“I’ll give you your stuff back in return for my diamonds,” Alyssa said. “I don’t want to shoot you, but I will. I’ll get those diamonds back whether you like it or not, but I’m willing to trade for your cooperation.” 

Tommy glared at her with everything he had, daring her to release the arrow into him. “I don’t have your diamonds,” he said honestly. “I… I don’t remember what I did yesterday, okay? I was with Tubbo, sure, I was around your house, also true, but I don’t remember taking any diamonds.” 

“Tommy, for fuck’s sake,” Tubbo had finally regained himself enough to hobble over. His expression was nothing short of pissed off and tired. “Just give her the diamonds and be done with it.” 

Alyssa opened her mouth to say something else, but paused when Ponk rounded from behind Tommy. A worried, frantic expression on his face. 

Tommy frowned as the man went straight up to Alyssa and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said got a reaction because Alyssa’s eyes darted worriedly down to Tommy. 

“You sure?” 

Ponk nodded. 

This time, when Alyssa turned back to  Tommy, her expression softened. It was almost…  _ worried.  _

For what, Tommy wasn’t sure, but at least it accomplished something. 

“Okay, Tommy,” she said. “You really don’t remember?” 

Tommy shook his head earnestly. 

“Fine.” Alyssa lowered the crossbow slightly to meet his eye. “In return for you stuff, I get to check your chests and your base.” 

“I don’t have them.” 

“You might, Tommy,” Ponk said. “You’ve might’ve taken them and just don’t remember.” 

“Why would I forget something like that?” 

Ponk raised a brow at him. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” 

“Tommy, you might as well,” Tubbo cut in as well. “Who could it hurt? If you do have them, she gets them back. If you don’t, we move on.” 

Tomm swallowed nervously. “Say I do have them,” he snapped. He honestly wasn’t sure whether or not he did, but stealing them did sound like something he’d do… though, he’d never admit it. “Then, what?” 

Alyssa finally shrugged, there was an  odd look in her eye, one Tommy couldn’t quite describe. “If you seriously don’t remember, I let you off the hook. If I get a  _ whiff _ of otherwise—!” 

Tommy waved his hand absently to silence her. “Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled. “Fine. Whatever. We’ve got a deal.” 

Alyssa hummed in satisfaction, then lowered her weapon. She nodded to the person beyond Tommy, most likely Ponk, and Tommy heard as that weapon was lowered as well. “Good decision,” she said and pulled out a chest. “I’ll put your stuff in here.” 

Tubbo stepped forwards and offered a hand down. This time, Tommy took it with little hesitation— he trusted Tubbo far more than he trusted Sapnap. “Was that worth it?” 

“Was what worth it? Beating them? Yes.” Tommy muttered, he winced sharply when his body protested at the sudden movement. 

It was around that point where Sapnap seemed to recover from his own mini-death. He hobbled up to Tommy and Tubbo, one hand grasping his own arm tightly. Despite the obvious pain, there was still fire in his eyes. 

“You two can go,” he growled. “I’m not done here.” 

When he tried moving past them, though, Tubbo suddenly held out a hand and stopped him. “No.” The boy said sternly. 

“What?” Sapnap snapped.   
  
Even Tommy took a moment to look at him in confusion 

“This is ridiculous,” Tubbo continued with a  pointed glare at Ponk, then at Sapnap as well. “You two are friends and I don’t know what you’re trying to prove here by messing with each other, but you’re  _ both _ good at PVP, alright? So stop this stupid, pointless fighting before somebody gets hurt.” 

Sapnap cracked his knuckles, his eyes were locked on Ponk, who looked just as upset. “That’s the point.” 

“Listen, you've both retaliated, alright? You keep this up and you’re going to be stuck in a cycle for ages and I don’t think anyone here wants to see it. It’s plain dumb and you’re not proving a point. So, just apologize and be done with it.” 

“And, what are you going to do if we don’t listen?” Ponk asked. 

“I’m asking you nicely, Prick. I’ve helped  both sides today, but truth be told, you really have the same motive and that’s a  _ pissing _ contest, yeah?” 

Ponk opened his mouth to speak again, but Alyssa laid a hand on his shoulder. “He’s right,” she said sternly. “If you don’t stop, I’ll make you. I’ll get everyone involved if I have to.” 

“Just apologize and be done with it, you’re getting piss everywhere,” Tubbo said. “That’s all I ask.” 

At last, Ponk sighed in defeat. “Fine,” he groaned. “I’m sorry for burning down your shit.” 

Sapnap rolled his eyes. “Sure, whatever,” he said. “I’m sorry, too.” 

Tubbo nodded once, then finally turned  to Tommy expectantly. “Also, why are  _ you _ here?” 

“Sapnap,” Tommy responded as he went to the chest to get his stuff. That was all he needed to say. 

“Yeah, I recruited him,” Sapnap added.  _ “Why?”  _

Sapnap shrugged. “I dunno, he seems vengeful, he can fight, too. Pretty spunky kid, if you ask me. I guess he’s got the balls for it.” 

Tommy opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the feeling of something buzzing in his pocket. His communicator. He shot Tubbo an apologetic look as he pulled it out to glance at it, but froze in shock when he saw the message. 

Tubbo must’ve seen the expression on his face because he immediately stepped forwards worriedly. “What’s wrong?” 

Tommy took a deep breath to try and calm his steadily racing nerves as he turned the screen to face Tubbo. It was from Dream and read two things: 

Dream: My stuff for your discs. I’m at your camp for the trade. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It’s Emmy again!   
> Thanks for reading this chapter! I appreciate the time you’ve put into this!   
> As always, comments are always appreciated, really anything you’d like to say!   
> Have a nice day! <3


	9. Connection

The second Dream’s message processed in his mind, Tommy took off running as fast as his legs could carry him back across the SMP. He wasn’t aware of much as he ran, only the frantic buzzing in his ears as his brain tried to process what he’d just seen. 

‘My stuff for your discs.’ Why did Dream have his discs? Why did he want them? Why? Why? How did Dream know about them? Had he told anyone? More importantly, why did he care? 

Tommy felt as if the world had slowed considerably, his leg felt like jelly and no matter how hard he pushed them, he felt like he was getting nowhere. He was vaguely aware of the figures running behind him: one was Tubbo, the other was Sapnap. They might’ve been shouting to him, but it was hard to hear over the frantic pounding of his heart. 

Discs. That was the only thing on Tommy's mind. His discs. His last connected to who he was before. They had to be important, they had to be. He thought he knew that much, the idea sounded so familiar— far more familiar than him stealing any discs of some kind. 

He reached his camp in what felt like ages, but the second he reached the crest of the hill, he gasped in shock. Standing on top of the cave Tommy called home, Dream stood beside a fire, two discs in hand

Adrenaline pumped through Tommy’s veins and he charged forward, drawi his sword to deal with the man, but he hadn’t made it but a few feet before Dram spotted him. 

“Halt!”

Tommy froze in his tracks at the sudden, threatening exclamation from the man. His heart stopped in his chest as Dream moved the two, black vinyls over the small fire. 

“Watch your next moves, Tommy,” Dream didn't sound happy in the slightest. “Though, I should burn them now for attacking me like that.” 

“What are you doing?” Tommy gasped out past his mostly-frozen body. It felt like all of his systems had just sudden stopped at the very sight of this. 

“What’s it look like?” Dream scoffed and when he held the discs closer, Tommy felt his body tense. “I’m holding them for ransom.” 

“Ransom?” Tommy demanded. “For what? What have I done?” He realized as soon as the words left his mouth, the sudden memory of him attacking Dream was fresh on his mind. At least his brain was working now. 

“You killed me.” 

“It was a spur of the moment action, Dream! You don’t need to get all— okay, okay!” He backed off quickly when Dream held the discs closer to the flame. 

“What do you want, Dream?” Tubbo asked upon reaching Tommy and laid a hand on his shoulder. 

“An apology… and my stuff...” 

Tommy frowned. “An  _ apology?”  _

Dream noted him smugly. “Yes. And, my  stuff for killing me.” 

“I don’t  _ have _ your stuff.” 

“Someone does. Though, I can get that  easily, why don’t we  _ start  _ with an apology?” 

Tommy opened his mouth to do just  that, but then suddenly stopped himself. Since when did  _ Dream _ control what he said? Since when did Dream control  _ him?  _

Since he’s holding the discs over the  fire, a small voice in the back of his mind whispered. Tommy ignored it. 

“I don’t owe you anything,” Tommy  decided. “You got in the way.” 

“I got in the— Tommy,  _ I _ was trying to  _ stop  _ the fighting!” Dream suddenly shouted. “I was trying to end this quarrel between Sapnap and Ponk myself, but  _ you  _ decided to get involved! You had  _ nothing _ to do with this.” 

“So, why not threaten Sapnap, then,  huh?” Tommy demanded. “He’s more out of control than me! This is his conflict!” 

“No. See, Tommy, that’s the difference  between you two. I’m  _ friends _ with Sapnap and Sapanp… he  _ respects  _ me. Now  _ you?  _ You don’t respect me at all— in fact,  _ you  _ were the one to attack  _ and  _ kill me.” 

“Kill is a strong word,” Tommy said. “I  more…  _ disarmed _ you. Despawned. Weakened—?” 

“It’s the same thing!” Dream yelled.  “You involved yourself, Tommy, so now you’ll see the repercussions of your actions! I want an apology or I’ll burn your discs.” 

“Part of me can’t help but feel you’re  being a  _ tad _ overdramatic.” Tommy said. 

“Yeah, Dream,” Tubbo said. “Why burn  the discs for an  _ apology?”  _

“I think I’m being quite fair,” Dream  said. “An apology isn’t  _ that  _ hard to say, is it? Otherwise, these stupid discs get it.”

Tommy grit his teeth so hard, he felt  something crack. “You listen to me. “ he growled. “If you  don’t give them back  _ now _ , you stupid son of a bitch, I’m going to fucking  _ murder _ you!” 

Dream seemed unfazed by the threat.  “Are you?” 

Tommy was ready to attack him right then in there, but he froze at the sight of movement behind the masked man. A crouched figure suddenly made its way from over the hill, sword drawn. It was Sapnap. 

Upon noticing Tommy staring, though Sapnap motioned for him to go on. Dream must’ve noticed the blank, confused stare, because he almost immediately started to turn, but Tommy stepped in before he could get far. 

“Yeah, I’m serious, you green prick!” He shouted. “I’ll kill you ten times over if you burn my discs! I'll make sure you never sleep again!” 

“Hm.” Dream still seemed unmoved by  the threats. “Why do these discs  _ mean  _ so much to you, Tommy? You had them when you were running, sure, but  _ why _ did you have them? Why were you protecting them?” 

“You know I couldn’t tell you,” Tommy  snarled. “I suppose the same goes for you then, huh, Prick? Why do  _ you  _ care so much?” 

“Well, as I said, I’m using them for  ransom, but you know what, Tommy?” Dream tiled his head thoughtfully. “I might not burn them. I might just  _ keep  _ them. Destroy them later when they’re no longer useful.” 

“Why?” 

“Well, obviously they mean something to you, don’t they? As long as I’m holding these, I have the reins, don’t I?” 

“You manipulative, sadistic, bast—!” Tommy felt silent with a choked gasp when Dream held the discs closer to the flame. 

“Oh…?” Dream’s voice was filled with  interest and he leaned forwards towards Tommy. Sapnap was just a few feet behind, just a little longer. “Now  _ that  _ was a reaction I like to see…” 

“Stop—!” He again fell silent when the discs got closer to the flame. So close, Tommy swore the edges began to smolder. He swore he could feel the heat of the fire, like he was the one getting burned. 

“I could make you do _anything_ I want,” Dream said. “These discs could be the key to your cooperation.” 

Just a few inches more— why wasn’t Sapnap close enough? 

“Dream…” Tommy lowered his tone considerably. He tried to keep his body still, even if an odd phantom pain had begun to set in. His lungs and throat suddenly felt tight as if the air was being squeezed from them. “You-You don’t have to…” 

“Oh, but I think I do…” 

“Please…” 

“I want an apology and my stuff. If I don’t get them, your stuff with suffice.” 

“Dream—!” 

“Tommy, I really think—!” 

At last, Sapnap suddenly got close enough to the man to attack, he lashed out with his sword and slammed it into the discs enough to knock them from Dream’s gloved hand. The discs tumbled forwards down the front of Tommy’s home and Dream reached for them as they fell, but Sapnap grabbed his arm and pulled him back harshly. 

“Go, Tommy!” The man prompted. 

Tommy suddenly felt like he wasn’t frozen anymore, the grip on his heart and lungs lessened. He yanked his feet from the ice that seemed to have grown around them, then lunged across the yard to grab the fallen items. 

The discs hit solid ground and Tommy gasped, but when they didn’t shatter, he scooped them up in his arms. 

“Go!” A hand suddenly he grabbed his arm and yanked him back. Tubbo stepped in front of him, his own sword drawn protectively. “Go, Tommy!” 

Tommy nodded to him, more grateful of his friend than he’d ever been. “I’ll be back,” he promised. Then, without waiting for a response, he took off towards the closest exit in his fenced home. 

“Tommy!” Dream roared behind him. 

Tommy didn’t stop. Instead, he held his discs close to his chest, relishing in the relief they brought him, and ran as fast as he could. 

Protect them, he could hear the familiar chanting on his head of voices that he knew not of. Protect them. Protect them. Protect them. Protect us. 

Tommy planned to until he drew his final breath. One moment, Tommy was outside, the next, he suddenly wasn’t. 

A dark hallway lined with shelves suddenly began to phase into existence around him as he ran. His heart rate began to pick up in his chest faster than he’d ever felt it go before, his breathing quickened, and he felt as if he was being fueled by an unknown force. Panic settled in his chest when he realized that he was being followed. 

Run away! The voices whispered to him. Escape! Escape! Run! Don't let them catch you! 

Tommy could feel the darkness closing in behind him, chasing him like prey. Shadows began growing on the floor by his feet and the air around him ran cold. 

_ RUN!  _ That’s all the he could hear now.  _ RUN!  _ The voices screamed in his ears. “ _ PROTECT THEM—!”  _

Something grabbed him from behind, like a sword had been thrust through his back, and Tommy’s vision snapped to black. 

He gasped sharply as his back bit into solid stone and, when Tommy opened his eyes, he found himself back in reality. In one hand, he clutched a pickaxe. In the other, he grasped at his own heaving chest. He could feel his heart repeatedly slamming against his palm like it was trying to escape his rib cage. 

A chest sat off to his left in the darkness, halfway closed where he thought his hand had been mere moments ago. What the hell had happened? How had he ended up here? 

Tommy forced himself to take deep breaths as he pushed himself back onto his legs. He put his pickaxe away, then slowly reached over and opened the chest. Inside, two familiar objects laid hidden. His discs. 

He needed to hide them, Tommy realized quickly. Dream was after them now, that much was obvious. This was the only way they’d be safe. 

“The only way,” Tommy repeated to himself as he shut the lid fully this time. His hand itched to touch them again, to hold his beloved discs, but he knew there wasn’t time. 

For now, his discs would stay here;  hidden in the stone of a mountain. Away from his all hands, including his own, but nonetheless  _ safe.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading another chapter! I really appreciate it! Comments, questions, concerns, everything is appreciated!   
> I hope you’ve enjoyed this chapter!   
> Have a great day! <3   
> ~Emmy


	10. Son

The last thing Wilbur remembered was falling through darkness, then there was nothing. 

From the deep clutches of slumber, he was awoken by the feeling of sunlight on his cheeks. Crisp leaves scratched at the bare skin of his hands and neck, it along with bits of dirt clung to his scalp. The most aggravating feeling, however, was the feeling of something small and hairy tickling his nose when he inhaled. 

Wilbur groaned and cracked open a single eye. Through the haze of his vision, he was able to make out the sight of towering trees and a clear, blue sky above him. 

A shift of warmth against his chest  made his head snap back down and he was able locate the source of the tickling sensation. However, he was quickly met with a face full of bright orange…  _ fox ears?  _

Wilbur jolted back so quickly, he nearly slammed the back of his head into the trunk of the tree. The head that had been resting against his chest fell and the threat of a predator flashed alarms in his head, but he frowned in confusion when he looked down at the rest of the body… whom he quickly discovered to be an older teenage boy. 

For a moment, all Wilbur could do was stare at the boy in shock. If not for the realistic-ness of the ears, he would’ve thought to it be a costume. He was only broken out of his trance by the sight of movement. 

“Dad…?” The voice that came from the boy’s direction sounded human, not at all like an animal. 

Wilbur backed away further slightly in fear, when the body— the boy suddenly lifted his head and twisted to look back at him. 

“Dad… why do you look so scared?” The boy demanded fearfully. His eyes were normal as well. 

In Wilbur’s muddled mind, the word hybrid was becoming apparent… but, what was he doing with a hybrid? A small part of him suddenly latched onto what the hybrid had just said— Dad. Who was his father? “Erm…”

“Dad…” the boy reached out a hand—one with long, dark fingernails, like claws— but quickly pulled away upon noticing Wilbur’s reaction. “What’s wrong?” 

“D-Dad…?” Wilbur asked curiously, the word felt foreign on his tongue. “Me?” 

The boy nodded, but there was no way.  Wilbur was sure he couldn’t be  _ that  _ much older than him. He was only 22, this kid only looked about 17-18. He was young. Too young. 

Wilbur sat up rubbing his head in  confusion. He must be dreaming, he decided. What other explanation could there be for why he’d woken up in the woods with no recollection of the boy with him… or, rather now that he thought about it, no memories of  _ anything.  _

“Are you alright?” The hybrid boy asked and sat up. He was dressed in a white top, black coat, and dark trousers. Atop his head of messy, bright orange hair, a dark cap was situated. Nor his eye shape or nose looked remotely close to Wilbur’s, but his eyes were a familiar dark brown color. 

“Um…” Wilbur cleared his throat upon realizing the boy was still waiting for a response. Hesitantly, he nodded, though his head still felt like it was spinning, looking for an explanation. “Yeah, I’m alright…” 

“Are you sure?” 

Wilbur nodded again and stood up. He reached out a hand to help the boy up, though he hadn’t been consciously aware he’d done so until he felt the tickling of the claw-like nails on his skin. It was almost like an instinct Wilbur wasn’t aware he had. 

“Where are we, Dad?” 

“Wilbur,” Wilbur corrected  uncomfortably. He was far too young to be this kid’s father. Brother? Maybe. Uncle? Also maybe. But, father? There was  _ no way….  _

The fox-hybrid’s ears seemed to shrink down slightly at that and a wave of guilt was quick to flash through Wilbur. “Wilbur...” he corrected himself quickly. 

Wilbur wasn’t sure why he felt bad at first, but as he stared down at him, though a name started breaking through the haze of his mind. 

The smiling face of a woman with salmon-red hair tinted pink smiled up at him. Her ears were sharp and pointed, an odd sight to him, as she twirled on the beach. He wasn’t quite sure who she was, if the twisting pain in his chest was sign enough. 

A small bundle with orange hair Wilbur could see cradled in his arms next. The last thing he had of his late wife: a daughter, though now happily a son, if he recalled correctly. 

“Fundy.” He smiled and, at last, he reached out and ruffled his son’s bright orange hair. It was such a strong memory, one that he knew well, how could Wilbur have ever forgotten it for a moment. 

“Da— _Wilbur,”_ Fundy seemed momentarily relieved, before he took a moment to cast a careful look around, his ears erect on his head. “Where are we?” 

Wilbur opened his mouth to respond, but came up blank. He couldn’t remember… why couldn’t he—? A stabbing pain shot through Wilbur’s skull so intensely, he had to hold his head in his hands. “Agh!” Fuzzy moments rushed past him, each one more painful than the last, like a needle stabbing into his brain. Though, none of which were clear enough to even decipher. 

He thought he saw a fish—a salmon— swimming away, a pair of wings, pink hair, and perhaps… a silver box… none of which made any sense to him. What the hell was going on? 

_ “Da—Erm! Wil!”  _

Something sharp grabbed onto his upper bicep, and the stabbing pain alone was enough to pull Wilbur back to reality. 

“What’s wrong?” Fundy demanded. 

“Sorry,” Wilbur gasped out. He pressed his palms against his eyes in an attempt to clear his head. He blinked open his eyes, relieved to find the forest floor again. “Just—Just a headache.” 

“That didn’t look like—!” 

“We should find help,” Wilbur decided,  dismissing Fundy completely. He shook his head slightly in an attempt to clear it, then squinted to the tower in the distance he’d determined earlier. “Maybe there’s someone around here who comin give us answers.” 

“Wha—What?” Fundy demanded. “Why?  We don’t know these people.” 

“Well, Fundy, you don’t know anyone  before you meet them, do you?” 

“Wil—!” 

Wilbur ignored him and instead  continued forwards in the direction he thought civilization to be. “Come along,” he said to the fox-boy and waved him forwards. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Fundy, I’m not going to have you starve in a  forest tonight.” 

Fundy scoffed, but he nonetheless  followed. “Why not? It’s just like camping.” 

“This is nowhere near ‘like camping,’” Wilbur shot back. “Help is our best option. I saw a structure and where there’s structures, there’s people.” 

“People are scary,” Fundy said. “They hurt or run from what they don’t understand. That’s what _you_ told me.” 

Wilbur swallowed and cast a nervous look over his shoulder. “We don’t have any other options,” he said. 

A burst of movement flashed across Wilbur’s vision, a tree branch snapped, and, with an instant, he reached out and pulled his son behind him. His hand instinctively reached for a sword or dagger that he must’ve had strapped to his hip at some point, but he came up empty. Bare fists it was then. 

“Holy sh—crap!” A figure stood in front of him, one of a man far shorter than him with his own hand resting on a weapon. 

“Who are you?” Wilbur demanded. 

“What the—?” The man stared up at Wilbur in shock and, though his eyes were hidden by a pair of goggles, the shocked expression obvious. “There’s no way.”

Wilbur swallowed. His question hadn’t been answered, but he figured now was as good an opportunity as any. He’d gotten what he was looking for, that was for sure. “Can you help us?” 

“There’s  _ more  _ of you?” The goggled  man demanded. “Why are there two? Wait— Why are you  _ together?”  _

“What the hell are you talking about?” Fundy asked. 

“Right.” The man shook his head and pressed his fingers into his temples, though he didn’t seem to be experiencing any headaches. Not like what Wilbur had just gone through. “You’re new here, right? Just woke up in the forest with no memory of how you got there?” 

Wilbur nodded. “Pretty much.” 

“Okay,” the smaller man nodded. “Right. Follow me, then.” 

_“Follow_ you?” Fundy asked. “Where are you taking us?” 

“Somewhere safe,” the man responded. “You’re looking for answers, aren’t you?” 

Wilbur nodded. “Can you give us any?” 

“Me?” The man snorted. “No. Truth be told, I don’t think anyone can.” 

“So, then, why take us wherever you’re  taking us?” 

“You want to be _safe,_ don’t you?” The  man asked. “These woods are filled with monsters at night. Trust me, you don’t want to experience it.” 

“Nighttime is far off from now,” Fundy said. 

“And, there’s not civilization for miles,” the other man responded. “Trust me. You’ll be safe in the Dream SMP.” 

Wilbur and Fundy exchanged a look, but Wilbur ultimately decided that in a forest by themselves t night was a worse option that whatever could be waiting for them in civilization and people. That’s what they’d been looking for anyways. 

So, after a sigh of defeat towards every instinct he owned, Wilbur at last nodded. “Alright,” he agreed. “Take us to your lands.” 

~ * ~ 

Wilbur was sure to keep an eye on Fundy as well as their surroundings as the goggled man led them back through the woods towards his so-called home. 

The trees began thinning the closer they became, or, at least that’s what Wilbur guessed. It was human nature to take down the trees closest to home base rather than in the middle of nowhere. 

It wasn’t long after that he learned his intuition to be correct as the she’s of buildings became invisible as well. With those edges came walls and with those walls finally came the familiar sight of man-made structures. None of which were very impressive though, he was sure he’d seen better before… where? He wasn’t quite sure of that much. 

There weren’t a lot of buildings here either, the sure sign of a still-growing empire. There was a wooden path and a few buildings, but not much besides that. 

The one that seemed to have the most effort out into it was a building on the other side of a pond. A building of brick, stone, and spruce planks. A few bushes were situated in front of it, giving it a more homely feeling that most of the other buildings. 

The inside, however, was anything but better. The ceiling hung low—lower than most at least— Wilbur had to fully duck just to get in. A few chests laid scattered around the area and a small staircase in the center lead up to possibly the roof. 

However, the floor was made of the most peculiar thing: hollow blocks that creaked beneath him with each step. From above, they looked similar to crafting tables, though that was an odd choice for flooring. 

“So, just wait in here for a few minutes, alright?” The goggled man tried for a smile at them as he shoved them in, but it seemed rushed. “Don’t move. Punz?” He nodded to the guard outside e door as he passed, most likely names Punz. 

Wilbur was curious about to why he was leaving them, but his attention was ultimately dragged away by the sight of Fundy speaking beside him. 

“Who are _they?”_

Wilbur followed his gaze to the two other people standing near the center of the building. 

Both of them looked as confused as Wilbur felt. As if they’d just recently woken up here as well. 

One looked to be around Wilbur’s age, perhaps slightly older than Fundy, with dark hair and sunglasses. The other looked fairly young and new, he wore a vibrant purple color and had light blonde hair. Despite the look of age and slight confusion, however, they both still somehow looked calm and complicit. 

“I’m not sure,” Wilbur said to Fundy after a moment and laid his hand on the younger’s back. “Why don’t we find out?” 

_ “Find out?”  _

Wilbur pushed him forwards before the boy could protest much further. The very sound of the stumbling footsteps was enough to catch the attention of the two strangers. At last, they turned to greet the two approaching. 

“Hello,” the taller one said and waved good naturedly. His eyes were covered by a thick pair of sunglasses, as if he had done sort of disease that required them. “Can we help you?” 

“Have you two been thrown in here as well or are you from around here?” Wilbur asked without hesitation upon reaching them. 

“We were tossed in, too,” the shorter, younger one said. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. “I see you have as many answers as we do…” 

Wilbur nodded. 

“Erm… I’m Eret,” the taller man said with a smile and finally held out a hand. “Pleased to meet you.” 

“Wilbur,” Wilbur said and shook the hand. He gestured next to the man beside him. “This is Fundy.” 

“I’m Purpled,” the younger blonde haired kid said, though he didn’t reach out to shake hands. “So, you two woke up in the woods then, too?” 

Fundy nodded. “Yeah, like not even 20 minutes ago. Do either of you know what’s going on?” 

Eret and Purpled exchanged a look, then both ultimately shrugged. 

“We’re in the same boat, unfortunately,” Eret said. “Woke up in the woods with no memories besides our names…” 

“So, you don’t remember anything else?” Fundy prompted. “Like not even where you’re from or where your grew up?” 

The two shook their heads. 

“Just the forest,” Purpled sighed. “Why? Do you know something?” 

“I mean…” Fundy wrung his hands nervously. “I remember growing up and where I live…” he looked over at Wilbur uncertainly. “I remember my parents…” 

“They must be an interesting couple,” Purpled said with a pointed look up at the fox ears on the boy’s head. “Are you a hybrid?” 

Fundy nodded. “I don’t know where from, though,” he said. When he looked up at Wilbur with a questioning gaze, the only thing the man could think to do was raise his hands in surrender. 

“Don’t look at _me,”_ he said. _“I_ don’t  know where you got it from, even  _ before _ I lost my memories, I think…” 

“Wait…” Eret paused and raised a  finger to wag it between Wilbur and Fundy. “You’re…  _ related?”  _

Fundy nodded. “He’s my father.” 

“No way!” Purpled gasped. “You’re too close in age, there’s no way you’re related!” 

“I age differently than most people,” F undy said and raised his hands innocently as well. “But, he  _ did _ raise me.” 

“He doesn’t look anything like you!” Purpled pointed out. “Do you take more from your mother or something?” 

“Does he  _ look _ like a salmon?” Wilbur  demanded. The last he remembered of Sally was her swimming away, leaving him to raise their only da— _ son.  _ Of course there was the concept of hair, eyes, and abilities, but That was it. He wasn’t sure why it offended him so much. 

“A salmon?” Eret asked. 

“You did it with a _salmon?”_ Purpled continued. 

“No, she wasn’t a salmon!” Fundy cut in quickly and laid an arm across Wilbur’s chest o stop him. “She was a shapeshifter, too… like me!” 

“You’re a shapeshifter?” 

Fundy shook his head. “No, a hybrid. I  _ permanently _ look like this.” 

Wilbur thought about it for a moment,  but came up mostly empty with the concept of Sally. “No, I could’ve sworn she was a fish.” 

“Wilbur, she wasn’t a fish!” Fundy  snapped. “She was a nymph who just happened to be able to transform  _ into _ a fish!” 

“Well, that can’t be right,” Wilbur  scoffed. “She swam off, but I must’ve  _ chased  _ her. What kind of husband would I be if I didn’t chase her? I must have her in a bucket  _ somewhere.”  _

“She’s in a  _ bucket?”  _

Wilbur honestly didn’t know. His  memory felt like jitterbugs— he couldn’t quite catch one long enough to see it. “Perhaps,” he said. “I’m not  _ that  _ bad, I don’t think. I don’t think she escaped.” 

Fundy rolled his eyes. “Ignore him,” he  said. “To answer your question, I  _ do _ take after her. With the hair colour and the…  _ hybrid _ thing.”

“But, wait….” Purpled frowned.  _ “She’s _ a  shapeshifter and  _ you’re _ a hybrid?” 

Fundy nodded, though both men only  seemed more confused by that. 

“A fish and a fox?” 

Another nod. 

“I’m lost.” Eret finally said. Purpled  seemed to be in agreement. 

“Everyone usually is,” Fundy muttered  with a sigh of defeat. 

Wilbur frowned. There was something  in his mind that he vaguely recognized— a memory? A fridge? And… a bird? “I mean… I think  _ I _ came from a fridge and a bird.” 

Fundy glared over at him. “Will you  please?” 

“I’m serious!” Wilbur shot back. “Wings, pigs,  and a fridge.” 

Purpled looked from Wilbur to Fundy,  his face twisted in concern. “Does he need to lie down or something?” 

At that, Wilbur had finally had enough. He rolled his eyes and waved his hand absently, now finished with this conversation. “I’m going to see why we’re in here,” he finally decided and pat Fundy’s head. “You can keep going with this odd conversation, if you’d like.”

Fundy frowned at him. “And, how are you going to go about that?”

“Just stay put, please.” 

Fundy rolled his eyes, but he obliged nonetheless. 

At that, Wilbur at last turned towards the entrance where the only guard stood in front of. 

The man outside had yet to move from his stiff and stern position, as if trapping them was the most important job in the world. The man with the goggles who’d brought them on was nowhere to be seen. 

Wilbur headed over to the door in an orderly fashion and peeked outside as unsuspiciously as he could. He could see that the building he was standing in seemed to be at the center of a pond of water from this side as well. He was willing to bet the other sides looked similarly. A wooden pathway stretched from it’s entrance down to dry land lined with bamboo. There was a small farm off to the side and a thick brush of forest. 

Wilbur took another step to simply see more, was stopped by a hand across his chest. He turned his head to see the man in full armor to have finally moved. He was staring up at him expectedly, his eyes serious and narrowed. 

“You can’t go out there,” he said patiently. 

Wilbur frowned. “Why not?” 

“I’m under strict orders to not allow you to leave the premises,” The man continued. “Our leader will be here shortly to discuss it with you more.” 

“So…” Wilbur frowned. “You took us all here to lock us in a room?” 

The man shrugged. “I guess,” he said. “It’s for your own safety. We don’t need unknowns running around until we figure out more.” 

The three remaining behind Wilbur had since stopped in their odd conversation to listen in. It was Purpled who spoke first, his voice somehow both deadpanned and questioning at the same time. 

“Figure out what?” He asked. “We’ve told you everything we know, what else do you want from us?” 

“For now? Your cooperation.” The man’s types drifted back over to Wilbur, not an ounce of emotion in them. “Now, please go and wait with the others.” 

Wilbur stepped back suspiciously. “Why am I not allowed to see?” 

“You can look out the windows,” the man said and pointed down the wall at the horizontal line of windows. “They’re see through, you know, you can see just as much.” 

“What’s wrong with outside?” 

“Look, I’m going to be honest with you, alright?” 

Wilbur crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow expectedly. “Yeah? Go on…” 

“I don’t know why they want you in here, okay? They just told me to lock all the doors except this one, to keep and eye on you, and to make sure you don’t leave. I really couldn’t help you, I’m on strict orders and I don’t want to be on anyone’s bad side right now.” 

Wilbur narrowed his eyes darkly at the  man, but ultimately decided that now wasn’t the time to get into it. “Alright,” he said and finally raised his hands. He  _ supposed _ it wasn’t the  _ guard’s _ fault they were stuck here... “How long will your leader be?” 

“He should be here any minute now,”  the guard said. “He had something to…  _ deal _ with first…” 

Wilbur nodded silently, the creeping edges of suspicion returning. He moved to step back with full intent of asking this leader about what was going on, but his attention was drawn to the edge of the path by the sight of movement. 

He watched in stunned silence as a man in full armor quite literally appeared from mid-air in front of him. And, somehow, Wilbur knew right away that this is who’d they’d been waiting for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! It’s Emmy again!   
> Thank you for reading another one of my chapters! I’ve hit 10 and finally half of the cast is introduced! Yay! (Sorry it’s a bit long lol)   
> I hope you’re enjoying reading this, I’d love to hear about anything you have to say in the comments below!   
> Have a beautiful day!! <3 <3


	11. Loyalty

Wilbur wasn’t sure how he immediately  knew what he did the second the man appeared. Perhaps it was the way he stood, perhaps it was the armour, the weapons… he just seemed…  _ powerful.  _ Respected. 

The green hoodie and jeans the man wore beneath the armor wasn’t very threatening and, quite frankly, neither was the smiley mask strapped to his face either. However, as he slowly raised a hand to his face and pulled away the mask, there suddenly became a whole other meaning to a smiley face. 

Wilbur swallowed nervously when the  man pulled back the mask to wipe at something on his face. His brow shot up in surprise when the gloved hand came away bloody. That  _ definitely _ didn’t seem friendly either. However, it was almost as if the man felt the eyes on him because his hooded head immediately snapped up in Wilbur’s direction. 

The two locked eyes, green on brown, and Wilbur felt his heart leap into his throat. He wasn’t sure why, but every urge told him to run, especially as the man’s expression darkened and he slipped his mask back over his face. He adjusted the hoodie as well, almost as if it was an attempt to hide as much as he could, then wiped his bloody hand on his trousers. 

By either fear or sheer act of will, Wilbur somehow managed to remain rooted to the spot he stood as the green-hooded man approached. He only moved to move out of the way to let him in, though he didn’t miss the pointed, but hidden glare from the man as he entered. 

The second the man stepped into the room, it was as if the tenseness he brought alone commanded the silence. 

Wilbur stared at him from off to the side, simply studying the oddity of him, though not much came from it. 

When the green-hooded man caught him staring, he was quickly told off by another tense look that he was somehow able to feel and see despite the mask. 

Swallowing thickly, Wilbur took a step back towards Fundy, who was approaching with Purpled and Eret. 

“Good afternoon, Gentlemen,” the green man said and nodded to the group before him. “I’m Dream, I own this place. I’m sure you’re all confused as to why you’re here?” 

Nods of agreement went around the  room, though not a word was spoken. 

Dream crossed his arms over  his chest, giving him even more of an off putting look. “And, I am to assume that you don’t remember  _ anything _ from before?” 

Purpled and Eret shook their heads, Fundy remained still. His bright orange tail had begun to sweep back and forth nervously across the floor. “I-I do.” He said. 

Wilbur paused and frowned in concern as he turned to the hybrid off to the side. “What?” He asked quietly. 

Fundy shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Y-You never asked…” 

“What do you remember, Erm…?” 

“Fundy.” 

Dream nodded. “What do you remember, Fundy?” 

“I don’t remember how I got here, which is what you’re probably wondering…” Fundy admitted. “Though, I remember snippets of growing up… not everything and most stuff is at varying lengths, but…” his eyes darted nervously to Wilbur. “I remember what we had for dinner last night…” 

“We?” Dream asked, the eyebrow raise was clear in his voice. He turned to Wilbur questioningly. “You lived together, then?” 

“Yeah…” Fundy murmured. “He’s my father.” 

Dream stared at Wilbur somehow even  sterner and Wilbur tried to remain strong beneath his gaze, despite the growing pressure. “Your  _ father?”  _

Wilbur shrugged innocently, then offered a small nod of confirmation. He hated to say that it was kind of embarrassing, but it was truly beginning to feel that way. 

“Foxes age differently,” Fundy told him. 

“I fucked a fish,” Wilbur agreed. 

“She wasn’t a fish!” 

Dream held up a hand and immediately, the room fell silent once again. He seemed taken aback by the act, but nonetheless continued as if nothing had happened. “None of you remember how you got here or why you’re here?” 

Another round of agreement. 

“You woke up in the forest and we’re taken here?” Dream continued. He first pointed to Eret. “Starting with you? You were the first here?”

Eret nodded. “Not too long ago,” he said. “Though, I wasn’t alone long before Purpled came…” he gestured to the younger teen beside him, who waved somewhat good naturedly. 

“Can _you_ tell us anything?” Purpled asked. 

Dream tilted his head. “Funny. I was going to ask the same of you. For starters, were any of you running that you remember? Running from anyone? Anything?” 

“I woke up on the floor,” Wilbur said. Every other ‘new person’ in the room nodded in agreement. 

“It was peaceful,” Eret added. “Peaceful, but confusing.” 

“So, you don’t remember any guards or anything? Something magical? You being thieves? Committing a crime?” 

They shook their heads. 

“We told you we woke up in the woods with no memory,” Purpled said. “That’s all we can tell you because that’s all we know… well, Erm…” his eyes drifted uncomfortably to Fundy. “Most of us…” 

Dream’s hand drifted up to rest on the handle of the axe strapped to his back, though he didn’t wield it. “I want you to know that if you’ve brought trouble to my friends, I will not hesitate to kill any one of you. Is that clear?” 

Another round of agreement. 

“Good… Hm...” Once Dream seemed to have gathered enough questions, he waved his hand almost absently. “If you stay, I’ll keep an eye on you. I don’t care what you do as long as you follow my rules and I am close enough to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.” 

“Rules?” Wilbur asked calmly and, this time, it was he who raised a brow. 

Dream nodded at him. “Rules.” He said. “Every good kingdom needs order, does it not? You break one and you’ll face the consequences.” 

“What are your rules?” Fundy asked. 

Dream shifted his shoulder and took a breath, as if he hadn’t been expecting the question to come so soon. “Well…” he said and moved his mask to face the ceiling slightly. “Let’s see…. No automated farms… no hopping dimensions besides our Nether… simple stuff: no griefing, no stealing… and, acts against my empire as a whole will be considered treason and you will pay dearly.” 

Wilbur thought about making a comment about how that escalated quickly, but decided to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he nodded his head as if he completely understood. 

“And, if we don’t _want_ to stay?” Fundy asked. 

“Then don’t,” the green man shrugged. “No one’s stopping you and I don’t care. I’ve offered my hospitality, that’s the most you’ll get out of me.” 

“What other  _ benefits _ does your  _ hospitality _ come with?” Purpled asked. “We get a home, sure, but how do we know you’re not like… cannibals?”

“Do we  _ look  _ like cannibals?” 

“Looks can be deceiving.” 

Dream sighed, somewhat of a  breathless laugh brushed past his lips. “You  _ give _ protection and in return you  _ get _ protection, does that make sense? You get property and friends and all we ask for is your loyalty.” 

“Loyalty…” Wilbur quietly to himself. “To you?” 

“To my server.” Dream said placidly and spread his hands as if announcing something grand. “To my people.”

Wilbur shut his mouth placidly as he mulled it over. His gaze drifted from Dream over to Fundy and, in turn, Eret and Purpled as well. They could have protection here and, as their only payment, they had to follow loose rules? It sounded almost too good to be true. 

It was Purpled who spoke first. “And, where would we be staying?” 

Dream uncrossed his arms from his chest and took on almost a triumphant posture. “Of course I’d be happy to give you some pointers…” he said. “Do you all feel this way in remaining with us?” 

Wilbur exchanged a look with Fundy and, after the smallest nods of confirmation, he spoke. “Yes,” he said. “We do.” 

“As do I,” Eret said. 

“Good…” Dream chuckled, though the grin was apparent in his voice. He waved a hand forwards, then spun on his heel back towards the way he’d come. “In that case, follow me.” 

~ * ~ 

Dream didn’t stick around long after he’d pointed out the areas of ‘property’ to the newest members of his ‘kingdom.’ Even if he’d literally traveled seemingly to the four corners of the SMP to point them out. 

Why he’d do so, Wilbur didn’t know. All he knew was that this leader was somehow both committed and uncommitted at the same time. He wasn’t sure if it made him more fond of Dream or not. He’d gone out of his way to show each one where they could stay, but he’d kept them as far away from each other as they could. 

Nonetheless, with Dream’s oddness or not, the remainder of Wilbur’s day was spent helping his son to collect supplies to start his house. However, he started sensing some unwanted feelings from Fundy about halfway through. If he remembered hearing correctly from Fundy himself, the two had lived together before this. Surely this had to be some kind of big step for both of them, right? 

As Wilbur had thought about it,  though, he wasn’t able to pull up a lot of strong feelings towards the subject after all. He cared for his…  _ son,  _ at least he thought he did, but he wasn’t too worried about him living alone. Fundy didn’t seem to mind being alone too much either. 

Despite that, Wilbur decided it  might’ve been best to stay for now anyways. He was supposed to be a parent, right? Surely this is how parents were meant to act—  _ helpful! _ Not  _ too _ overbearing, only to the point of loving, then leaving their kids alone? That sounded familiar. 

When the sun began to lower over the  horizon and Wilbur felt confident enough that Fundy wouldn’t get his face eaten off, he decided to call it a night there. He still hadn’t quite had much time to debate what Dream had said to him… about  _ everything,  _ really. Rules, property…  _ threats…  _

So, as he walked back down the path to his designated ‘base’, he did just that. Somehow, a large part of him felt as if this wouldn’t be the last time he was doing it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! It’s Emmy!   
> I hope you’ve enjoyed another chapter of this fic!  
> As always, comments are appreciated greatly!   
> Have a nice day!


	12. Familiar

Fundy wasn’t sure what exactly had made him follow Wilbur through the SMP, but one thing had led to the next and now he was suddenly trailing behind his father as they walked down the wooden path. He knew not where they were going, or why, he was only aware of the fact that they were exploring. 

Of course, there weren’t many things to see around. There was obviously the ‘community’ house, the place they’d first gone upon arrival, but in this SMP there was a giant lemon tree, a girl named Alyssa’s house, a nether portal, and an ocean among other things. Fundy hadn’t been really paying too much attention to them, to be honest, but his father on the other hand, showed just enough to be concerning. 

“What do you mean ‘the nether is too hot.’” Fundy asked curiously as he trailed behind his father down a staircase heading for the community house. “It’s the nether, what were you expecting?” 

“It's just too hot, Fundy, that’s all I’m saying,” Wilbur nearly repeated himself once again. 

“Too hot for what?” Fundy continued. “We’re not going to live there.” 

Wilbur shot him a curt look over his  shoulder as the two stepped onto the wooden path. He glanced across the waters surrounding them, then continued on. “No, I’m not going to  _ live _ there,” he scoffed. “That’s ridiculous, who lives in the nether?” 

“Then, why is it  _ too hot?”  _ Fundy asked.  “If you’re not looking to live there, what difference does it make if it’s  _ hot _ or not? It’s used for supplies and transportation and that’s  _ literally _ it.” 

Wilbur eyed him carefully, his pace slowing for a moment. At first, Fundy was nervous he’d gotten something stuck in his teeth, but before he had time to ask, Wilbur moved on. “It doesn’t concern you,” he finally dismissed quickly. “I don’t want to get you involved.” 

“Involved?” Fundy demanded, suddenly  interested. “Involved in  _ what?  _ What the hell could you possibly be doing that you can’t get me—?” 

“Keep your voice down!” Wilbur scolded him quickly and whipped around when they had reached the outside of the community house. “I shouldn’t have said anything.” 

“Wilbur, whatever you’re planning, don’t,” Fundy warned him sharply. He trusted his father’s thoughts, but sometimes they could get out of hand. Though, he wasn’t even sure if Wilbur remembered that he had a tendency to do that. “We’ve been here for one day—!” 

“Fundy, listen to me,” Wilbur said. “I need to make a profit around here, that’s the only thing I don’t want you getting involved in, alright? I just need some cash, only a bit. It’s only going to be a small thing that no one will know about.” 

“It’s going to get out of hand,” Fundy  continued pointedly. “It  _ always  _ does.” 

Wilbur paused and turned to regard Fundy with a single, shadowed eye. “You want to know the good thing about losing your memory?” The mischievous look alone was enough to make Fundy stop in his tracks, but he didn’t let a trace of discomfort show.

“I could help you remember very quickly,” the fox-hybrid shot back coldly. 

Wilbur smirked. “The good thing is that I’ve got a new slate. A new slate for me and everyone here. They know me as well as I know myself— all my past mistakes, they can’t hold me back anymore. I’m free to try whatever I’d like...” 

“You _learn_ from mistakes, Dumbass!” Fundy growled. “You won’t get anywhere if you keep running full-head into the wall.” 

Wilbur’s brow shot up slightly, the  most emotion different from neutral or upset he’d shown all day. “That’s  _ my  _ line.” 

Fundy threw up his hands. “And, _now_ he remembers?” 

“Yeah, because it’s _my_ fucking line, Fundy, you don’t use a man’s own line against him.” 

“Are you _joking?”_ Fundy narrowed his eyes at the taller man with a mix of shock, disgust, and disbelief. Wilbur seemed completely serious. “Alright, yeah, well there's more where that came from! How about this, huh? Dont be a fucking idiot!” 

Wilbur waved his hand absently and began walking again. “That one’s not as good.”

“It’s true!” Fundy called after him. “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s stupid. It won’t end well.” 

“I won’t know if I don’t try, will I?” 

“Well, you don’t know for sure if you’ll  survive if you jump into a pit of lava, but you’re not going around doing  _ that  _ are you? Wilbur, look at me!” 

Wilbur spun back around to star him down with a cold look. Fundy hadn’t meant to sound so harsh about it, but he could feel the way his ears were quick to flatten on his head. “In order to make it anywhere in life, Fundy, you have to know what you’re doing. You can’t rely on other people to solve your problems, which is why you take them into your own hands. Only you know how to do things right, yeah?” 

“We don’t need to make a profit, they’ll accommodate, won’t they? I mean, that‘s the deal— it’s right in the contract of protection for protection. Food is protection, armor is protection, we’ll be fine as long as we——are you even listening to me?” 

Wilbur was far from it. His gaze had drifted from Fundy over to something slightly beyond his shoulder. 

Fundy whipped around and was quick to locate the source of the distraction. Two boys were arguing in front of a house in construction. In front of them, there was a box of nails and a hammer. 

“You’ve nailed my hand to the board!” The taller, blonde one complained. He clutched said hand against his chest and rubbed it thoughtfully. 

“I did not!” The brunet shot back. “It barely clipped you, you’re just dramatic!” 

“Who are  _ they?”  _ Fundy asked curiously. 

“I’m… not entirely sure… Wilbur said, though his tone suggested otherwise. “We’re they there when we arrived?” 

“No.” 

The two must’ve heard or seen something amiss in front of them because they quickly stopped what they were doing to look at the two stopped in front of them. 

“What do you...?” The blonde suddenly trailed of mid sentence when his eyes locked on Wilbur. 

The two’s gazes met and, for the briefest of moments, they stared at each other in complete, shocked silence. Meanwhile, Fundy and the brunet, who’d inadvertently been trapped in the tenseness exchanged a weary look. 

“Wilbur?” It was the blonde who spoke first, his voice careful like treading on glass. 

“Tommy.” Wilbur said, equally as surprised. 

Fundy frowned. Tommy. Why did that name sound so familiar to him? It was like an old memory from when he was a lot younger that just barely grazed the surface of his psyche. Tommy. Tommyinnit. 

Tommy set down the tool he’d been holding and crossed the short distance between them, his brunet friend following close behind. As he got to Wilbur, his face scrunched up in distaste, and he pointed at him. “What the hell are you doing here?” He asked. 

“I could ask the same of you, Child!” Wilbur shot back. 

“Hold on—what?” The shorter brunet grabbed Tommy’s arm, drawing the boy’s attention to him. “You remembered something?” 

Tommy glanced over at him, eyes wide  with shock as if he hadn’t even thought of that. When he whipped his head back to look at Wilbur, he gasped. “I do!” He crowed. “Wilbur Soot, you are a  _ bitch!”  _

“And, you’re a dick head child!” Wilbur spat as if he knew exactly what he was talking about. 

“How do you know each other, Tommy?” The shorter brunet asked. 

“I…” Tommy trailed off, his face paling.  “I don’t… know…” he said. “I just…  _ know  _ him… I just don’t know where from…” 

His brunet friend regarded him carefully, then allowed his wide gaze to drift to Wilbur. “Do you remember anything?” 

Wilbur shook his head. “Same goes for me, I suppose,” he said. “I just know he’s annoying.” 

“What?” Tommy demanded. “I am not!” 

Wilbur smirked mischievously, then reached forwards and ruffled Tommy’s hair, something he used to do to Fundy, but didn’t anymore. Fundy wasn’t sure how that made him feel. “You’re an annoying child,” he said pointedly. 

“You’re a stupid bitch!” 

Wilbur scoffed, but before much else could be said, he suddenly backtracked. “Well, listen, I’ve got to go,” he said. “I have important business to attend to. I’ll see you later, Fundy?” 

“Where are you going?” Fundy asked curiously.

“I don’t know,” Wilbur said. “Even if I did, I don’t think I should share… why don’t you find something to do while I’m gone?” 

“Like what?” Wilbur turned to go before even pausing to answer Fundy. Then, just like that, Fundy was left alone with the two, younger boys. 

“Well, _that_ was interesting,” the younger brunet said.

“What a secretive  _ bitch,”  _ Tommy  commented. _ “Oh, my name is Wilbur and private life is such a mystery—  _ I mean,  _ honestly _ . What could this bitch possibly have to do that's so important?” 

The brunet shrugged, but instead of responding to the statement, he turned to Fundy. “Right. What about you?”

“Me?” Fundy scoffed. “What _about_ me?” 

“Do you remember anything?” 

“I remember everything I’m _supposed_ to, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Fundy said and crossed his arms. “Well…  _ almost  _ everything.” He still couldn’t figure out for the life of him some key points to the story: how he’d gotten to this place with Wilbur, why Wilbur didn’t seem to remember much, and why these two kids seemed so familiar. 

_“Almost_ everything?” The brunet prompted. 

“What the hell does that even mean?” Tommy grumbled. 

“I know what I had for breakfast this  morning, but I don’t know how I got here.” Fundy told them outright. “I remember growing up, but I don’t know  _ why _ I’m here either.” 

“Useless,” Tommy groaned. 

His brunet friend smacked him on the arm, then reached out a hand to Fundy. “I’m Tubbo,” he said. “This is Tommy, though I think you’ve figured that out.” 

Fundy shook his hand and regarded Tommy with a cold look. “Yeah…” he said. “I believe so…” 

“Hey, how _old_ are you?” Tommy continued. “I don’t think you should be as old as you are.” 

“No?” Fundy raised an eyebrow. “Why not?” 

“You just don’t.” 

“I’m 17,” Fundy said pointedly. In reality, he was actually around 4-6 years old, but due to his animalistic side, he tended to age differently. He figured his mother’s side of the family might’ve had more answers on why, but since she’d disappeared, he’d been stuck alone with a human. Wilbur’d had little answers to share with him, only something about a pig and a bird one time. Beside that, even to Fundy, his own life was a mystery. 

“You’re  _ not,”  _ Tommy said in shock. 

“I am,” Fundy stuck with it anyways. Physically, he supposed he actually was. Mentally as well, if you asked him.

“Well that’s just unfortunate, isn’t it?” Tommy said and crossed his arms definitely over his chest. “Anyone who is older than me is immediately a bitch.” 

Tubbo snorted. “Must be the whole world then, yeah?” 

Tommy shot him a cold glare. “I will set your entire stupid face on fire, you dumb, stupid bitch.” 

Tubbo nodded, as if the threat meant very little to nothing to him. “Right,” he said instead. “It was nice meeting you, Fundy. I’ve got work to do on my house still, but you’re free to stick around if you’d like.” 

Fundy nodded, his gaze following Tubbo as he turned around and began walking away. Once he was about halfway to his house, however, Fundy suddenly got an idea. “Hey, Tommy,” he said and turned to the boy who had yet to move. 

“Yes?” 

“How tolerant is Tubbo?”

Tommy raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. “Huh?” 

“How tolerant is he?” Fundy asked. “Like, if I were to… say… turn invisible and hit him every 13 seconds. How much do you think he’d hate me?” 

_ “Oh,”  _ Tommy said, his tone suddenly  full of interest as he cast a brief glance over at his friend. “I like the way you think, Fundy. He would  _ hate  _ that, I want in.” 

“You want in?” Fundy continued  curiously. “I thought you were friends?” 

“I haven’t picked on him  _ nearly _ enough,”  Tommy sighed. “The bitch deserves it, yeah?”

Fundy shrugged. “He really won’t mind?”  Tommy grinned, it was a familiar expression, but one that Fundy couldn’t put his finger on why. A mischievous glint was quick to form in his eye. “No,” he said. “Well, he might be upset, sure, but he’ll get over it. What are you thinking?” 

“Oh! Uh…” Fundy reached around and  dug into his pockets for something of use. He didn’t have much on him, a clear sign that he had been here long. It was a fact he knew well. “I only want to mess with him a little bit. Have an invisibility on you? Rubber arrows?” 

Tommy scoffed softly and rolled his  eyes. “Why would I have rubber arrows?” He asked, but reached into his pocket nonetheless. Something clinked loudly against his hand and a look of interest was quick to flash on his face as he pulled it out. “Oh, would you look at that?” 

“How do you have  _ that?”  _ Fundy asked. Tommy shrugged and scratched his  head. A dark look crossed his face, though he didn’t say anything on the subject. “I’m… not sure…” he admitted wearily. Then, it was as if a switch had been flipped and his expression lightened. “Memory issues, you know?” He chuckled and tapped his temple. “Hit on d’ ‘ed, yeah?” 

Fundy snorted softly and took the  potion from the eager boy’s hand. He flipped it over once in examination, noting the claim to be true. The sun bounced off the silvery blue liquid inside like crystals.  _ “I _ don’t have any memory issues— not since I woke up here.” 

Tommy waved his hand towards Fundy,  nearly swatting at his face, then snatched the bottle from his grasp again. “Yeah, we’ll see,” he grumbled, then pressed the bottle to his lips, then downed half of it in a quick gulp.  He pulled a quick, sour face and shook his head quickly as it went down, but handed the bottle to Fundy. 

“We shall, I suppose,” Fundy muttered,  then downed his own quick share of the potion. At least he could be confident that Tommy hadn’t been dramatic with the expression, the liquid was sickly sweet and minty, like a wispy breath of air. A tingly sensation shot down his spine like an electric shock and he shuddered. 

“This is  _ weird,”  _ Tommy voiced his  thoughts perfectly. The boy’s figure had begun to shimmer and fade out, as if he was slowly teleporting away. “It’s all tingly and shit, like pins and needles.” 

Fundy glanced down at his own hand,  shocked to discover his own fingertips doing the same. He’d begun to see the edges of the grass beneath him shimmering into view like a grainy message. Once his hand had almost completely disappeared from view, he looked up at where Tommy had once stood excitedly. “I’m ready whenever you are.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading another chapter! I hope you’re enjoying this story!   
> Please let me know if you have any ideas (or questions, comments, concerns lol)   
> Have a beautiful day!


	13. Business

Wilbur had regarded the laws the second he’d come here. He’d thought about them long and hard in the time he was led around like a sheep. There weren’t many, he noticed, and nothing was far too broad. He wasn’t sure how or why he’d paid so much attention, but it nonetheless served as well. 

To put things lightly, Wilbur needed a way to gain money around here. It was as if this were a mere habit he needed to do… though, it sounded familiar. Getting a job and a steady pay to support a family… even if his wasn’t very large. Fundy was old enough to take care of himself, wasn’t he? They were so close in age, he must’ve been. 

So, while the entire SMP had slept last night, Wilbur had been up planning. What was something that everyone seemed to need at some point in their lives? Drugs, of course! More specifically: potions. He wasn’t quite sure where exactly he’d gained the knowledge to do so, but he’d even managed to whip up a few to see today. 

Now, however, he was left to wander aimlessly. He hadn’t exactly wanted Fundy to tag along while he looked for a place to secretly brew the drugs, but it became clear after a while that Fundy wasn’t catching on anytime soon. Of course, the Fox-boy had been suspicious, but not enough for Wilbur to kick him to the curb… that was, until the opportunity arrived and he couldn’t help but take it. 

Truth be told, Wilbur wasn’t sure why  he recognized the blonde haired boy, Tommy. No matter how many times Fundy asked, he still didn’t. It just felt…  _ familiar…  _ like it was someone he’d knew his entire life. Even the other boy, Tubbo, had seemed close as well. He wasn’t exactly sure why. 

Fundy thankfully hadn’t seemed to take this too personally, not from what Wilbur had seen at least. However, it was odd that he hadn’t recognized either of the two boys and Wilbur had, what with most of his memory still intact. Perhaps they’d been old friends or something and just didn’t talk in the time Fundy was alive. 

Either way, the opportunity had come and Wilbur had taken it. He’d handed his son off to the two other kids, in hopes that Tubbo would perhaps allow him to help with the house. Parents were supposed to teach responsibility, weren’t they? 

“Hey, it’s Wilbur, right?” 

Wilbur jumped so hard at the sudden voice that piped up from beside him, the contents of his bag nearly went flying. When he looked up to see who it was, he was shocked to find one of the more brutish members smirking up at him. “Uh…” 

“It’s Sapnap,” the black-haired man said. He alternated hands with his weapon, then held out his free hand for a handshake. “The best fighter around here.” 

“Oh! Um…” Wilbur politely let go of his bag to shake the man’s hand. “W-Wilbur Soot…” he said back. 

It hadn’t taken long for Sapnap to notice the bag, not since Wilbur had been grabbing onto it for dear life nearly the entire thirty seconds they’d been talking. His eyes almost seemed to glow as they farted from Wilbur’s face, down to his bag, then back up again. “So…” he began slowly. “What’s in the bag?” 

“Erm…” Wilbur shifted uncomfortably and pulled it closer to his side. The bottles inside clinked together softly and he cleared his throat in order to try and muffle them. “Just… Building supplies…” he lied. 

Sapanp raised a brow, unimpressed. “Building supplies?” 

Wilbur nodded. “Yeah, to build a house, Sapnap? That’s generally what you use...” 

“You don’t want to live with your son?” 

Wilbur shrugged. “He’s old enough to live on his own, isn’t he?” That much sounded true. 

Sapnap raised a single brow at him expectantly and crossed his arms, but Wilbur didn’t yield. 

“I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong here,” he said sharply and lifted his chin. “I was only walking on the prime path.” 

“You’re acting sus,” Sapnap responded humorlessly. 

Wilbur scoffed. “I am not! Now, I would appreciate it if you would let me go by so I may continue to work on my house… I’m wasting daylight.” He moved to slid past Sapnap, but it was clear that the man wasn’t done when he followed his as he went. 

“So, then, tell me, Wilbur Soot? What house ideas are you thinking of?” 

Wilbur paused. “House ideas?”

“You can’t build a house without a plan,” Sapnap commented. 

Wilbur realized that he had a point. He most likely would’ve had an idea if he actually was building a house… however, he hadn’t expected the question from Sapnap. “Erm…” he scratched the back of his neck and surrendered a brief look at the man behind him. “Wood…?” 

“Wood?” 

Wilbur nodded. “It’s _made_ of wood, I mean… and… it’s a…” what was something simple? “Ball…” 

“A  _ ball?”  _

“Yes,” Wilbur said. “A wooden ball. Is  there a  _ problem _ with that?” 

Sapnap’s shock didn’t go unnoticed, it  was almost amusing. Almost. “A wooden ball?” He repeated. “You’re building a wooden  _ ball _ to live in?” 

“Yes.” 

“I don’t believe it.”

“It’s _true.”_ Wilbur snapped. “It’s a wooden ball and I intend to make it at least by the end of the week! I shall live in it happily, thank you very much!” 

“I’d love to see it when it’s finished!” Sapnap challenged. 

“And, you will!” Wilbur remarked, then at last pointed a finger up to the sky. “Maybe like… say the end of the week?” 

_ “Of course,  _ I look forward to it.” 

“You don’t have to sound so dry about it, Sapnap,” Wilbur shot back at him. “I’ve never once seen you in your own home.” 

“That’s because _I_ keep my homes hidden, I’m smart,” Sapnap boasted. “You leave it in the open and it’ll get griefed or robbed.” 

“Until I see your home, Sapnap, my judgement will be as great as yours.” 

“My house is  _ beautiful,” _ Sapnap added  proudly. “It would  _ definitely _ win a best build contest. 

“Then, show me.” 

Sapnap crossed his arms and a dark expression crossed her face. “I’ll make a deal with you, Wil… Wilbur Soot…” he offered another hand. 

“...Go on…” 

“Friday evening, we show our homes to each other,” Sapnap said. “Sound fair?” 

“Uh…” Wilbur narrowed his eyes  slightly. He supposed that couldn’t be  _ too  _ difficult if he put his mind to it. “Yeah, fine,” he said and shook the hand curtly. 

“I’ll see you then.” 

“I’ll see you.” With his ass now covered, he was free to cut the conversation as it was… and, so he did. “Daylight is wasting. Have a nice day, Sapnap,” then, without waiting for a reply, he took off. 

~ * ~ 

Wilbur had a long list of things to do,  that was for sure. Now, only longer with Sapnap’s stupid request, his own stupid cover. Now he had to find a place to set up, start building his set up, and find business before either someone found out or something flopped…. and, now to also build a wooden ball to please  _ Sapnap _ of all people. 

First things first was location. He’d already knocked a couple off of his list. Despite the nether being great for supplies, it was far too hot there to be sustainable for more than a few hours at a time. He wasn’t sure his lungs could handle that either anyways. The SMP was too obvious, The End off limits, and a portal through any of those places he knew not how to work. 

At least, on the bright side, he was saved having to decide for now by a new distraction. It was none other than one of the first people Wilbur had met here: Purpled, if he remembered correctly.

The boy was currently elbow deep in a chest, digging around in it, then pulling out supplies to set beside him. Above him was the works of a new build, one more impressive than Wilbur had seen around here yet. 

Truth be told, Wilbur actually knew  quite little on the boy, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask  _ him _ , could it? Get done step 3 while he still had time? “Hey, Purpled!” 

A head full of light blonde hair popped up out of the chest, then whipped around towards Wilbur. “Oh!” Purpled hurriedly scrambled to his feet. “Hey, it’s Wilbur, right?” 

Wilbur nodded with a smile, then stepped down off the prime path. He gestured up to the building high in the sky above him. “What are you working on?” 

Purpled looked up as if he’d just realized it was there. “Oh! A house,” he said. “A UFO.” 

“Oh…” Wilbur nodded again. “That’s cool. Where’d you come up with that?” 

Purpled shrugged. He slammed the lid down on the chest, then stood with his arms full of stony supplies. “I guess I just wanted something up high that wouldn’t burn down,” he chuckled slightly. “Also UFO’s are cool.” 

“That’s true,” Wilbur said. He pulled his bag closer to his side as he suddenly remembered why he’d come over. “How open would you be to trade?” 

“Trade?” Purpled called back. “Trade what?” 

Wilbur shrugged. “Let’s say some of your goods in exchange for….” He cast a look around to make sure no one was around before he even tried speaking. He kept his voice low, just in case. “Potions?” 

“What was that?” 

Wilbur pulled open his bag beside him to show the boy. “Potions,” he said. “I’m starting a business.” 

“Is… that  _ allowed?”  _

Wilbur shrugged. “You're interested?” 

Purpled paused to cast a look around as well. Then, once he was sure that no one was looking, he crossed the short distance between them, wiping his hands on his pants as he did so. “Potions…” he repeated a bit quieter. “What do you have?” 

“Well, our stock is a bit low since we have yet to find a proper place to brew in secret, though we do have some options if you’re interested?” 

Purpled nodded. “Yeah, that’s why I came over here. Get on with it, man!” 

“Right.” Wilbur reached over and grabbed the boy’s arm. Then, he himself, made sure no one was around, before he dragged Purpled behind the nearest building. 

Thankfully, the boy didn’t seem to be one to complain too much. He instead just let it happen. “Okay. What do you have?” 

“I have swiftness?” Wilbur said with a quick look in his bag. “Poison, night vision, and strength.” 

Purpled nodded slowly. “How much for night vision and strength?” He asked. 

“What do you have to trade?” 

Purpled crossed his arms and looked over his shoulder. “Erm… Diamonds?” 

“How many?”

“Like… 16?” 

Wilbur nodded. He could work with that. “Here, I’ll make you a deal,” he said. “Three for each potion, the price might get higher as we get more potions, but you get to start out with a special deal. So let’s say 6? That sound fair?” 

Purpled nodded. “Deal,” he said and pointed over his shoulder. “I’ll get my E-chest, I’ll be right back.” 

“You do that,” Wilbur said to him. He watched for a moment as Purpled disappeared, then took a minute to himself to peer into his bag. His potions were still intact and unshattered, they seemed to be in perfect condition. He pulled out the two desired potions as Purpled rounded back around the corner nearly a minute later. 

“I’ll set is between us and we use it as a table?” Purpled suggested. 

“Sounds fair,” Wilbur said. 

Purpled opened the Ender chest and extracted something shiny from it. However, his eyes only left the potions in Wilbur’s hands briefly. At least it could be said that he wanted them desperately. 

“One the count of three,” Wilbur said. “One...two...three…!” He served the potions on the table at the exact same time Purpled set down the diamonds. The second his hands left the bottle, he snatched the payment up, and Purpled did the same. Each person was quick to stuff away the evidence of any trade occurring. 

“Thanks,” Purpled said and stood up first, his movements nonchalant. He extended a quick hand to Wilbur, his eyes gleaming. 

Wilbur smirked. “It’s no problem,” he said and gave the hand a quick shake. “Shall I expect to hear from you again for more potions?” He asked. “You can be among the first to know if I’ve set up shop anywhere?” 

“That part should probably remain a secret,” Purpled said. “The forest is a good place if you’re looking, but you didn’t hear that from me…” 

“Of course.” 

Ultimately, however, Purpled only seemed to shrug. “Yeah, sure, when you’ve got more, I’d love the businesses again… depending on how well the other one’s work…” 

Wilbur nodded. He held his bag closer to his side, then smirked at Purpled one last time. “Right,” he said. “Until next time, Purpled.” 

“See you, Man,” 

And, just like that, the two split ways. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know this chapter is like 4 hours late, so sorry about that. (I promise I had it up, but I won’t lie, I literally forgot to hit post and forgot about it)  
> Anyways, with that out of the way, you’ve made it though another chapter! I hope you’re enjoying this story! Please let me know if you are in the comments below. Also, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to say hi.  
> Have a nice day! <3


	14. Distrust

As much as Wilbur enjoyed thinking for himself, he thought Purpled’s idea of setting up in the distant forest was a good idea. It could be far enough away from civilization to do what he needed to do without disturbance, he could even set up his own nether portal to get supplies! It was perfect, this definitely wouldn’t be as difficult as he’d once thought. 

If the trade Purpled was any  condolence, business was  _ already _ booming! He could ask just about anyone he’d like to that wasn’t too close with the leader, Dream! It was perfect, almost  _ too  _ perfect he thought. 

Wilbur had been in a good mood when he’d headed back down the prime path in search of new business. He’d even headed in the direction of Tubbo’s in-progress house for the simple act of greeting his son and his other friends! He wasn’t sure if he’d tell them, but if all went well, they could assist, right? 

“I told you to get out!” 

Wilbur blinked in surprise at the sudden shouting from what sounded like the calmer of the three earlier. Tubbo sounded pissed and acted that way, too. 

The door slammed open nearly off of its hinges and slammed into the wall, then out breezed two… ghostly figures? No… From hear, Wilbur could hear the snickering— all too familiar if you asked him. 

Now snapped out of thought, he  crossed the yard in a few quick steps, his eyes locked onto the space of air where he could just barely make out a disturbance. The second he was close enough, he reached out and grabbed each of the shimmering figure’s tops, then yanked them back. “What the  _ hell  _ are you two doing?” 

Both figures stiffened the sound of his voice and slowly turned to face him. However, their cowering only seemed to grow. 

“Wil…” Fundy said first. 

“Wilbur…!” Tommy repeated carefully.  “Good to  _ see _ you…” 

“What are you two doing?” Wilbur reiterated calmly, though he didn’t let go of either of them. 

“Nothing—!” 

“It doesn’t look like nothing to me,” Wilbur said. “It looks like you’re bothering Tubbo when he clearly wants to finish working on his home. Does that sound correct?” 

“What?  _ No!”  _

“Then, what  _ is _ it?” 

Tommy didn’t have an answer to give, so Wilbur begrudgingly turned to Fundy. 

“I know I don’t remember much, but there’s a strong urge in me to tell you off for pranks,” he said sternly. “That sound familiar?”

Fundy crossed his arms. “It  _ was  _ kind of funny…” 

Wilbur rolled his eyes. With the physical forms of the two boys now beginning to fade into reality, he felt more comfortable letting go of them now. So, that’s what he did. “Right. That’s the end of that,” he said and shoved them forwards towards the house. “I’d appreciate it if you two would go inside and apologize to Tubbo.” 

“What?” Tommy demanded. _ “Why?”  _

“Because he’s clearly a busy boy and doesn’t have time for your antics!” Wilbur shot back. “He’s done nothing to deserve being so thoroughly disturbed from a hard day’s work because you two are bored!” 

“Do we  _ have  _ to?” Fundy groaned. 

“Yes,” Wilbur said. “I feel I’ve told you before. These pranks will get you nowhere, you gain nothing from them…” 

“But—!” 

“Fundy…?” 

_ “Fine!”  _

The two exchanged a look with each other, then each began stalking back towards the house like glowering, kicked puppies. Wilbur made sure to stay near the entrance when they disappeared into the unfinished build. He arrived at the door in time to hear Tubbo’s annoyed voice inside. 

“Tommy, I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, you’d best get out of here before I—?” 

“You don’t even know why we’ve returned!” Tommy exclaimed. “Don’t we get an explanation, Tubbo?” 

There was a long, drawn out silence that followed, not a single word was said. The tension in the air was great and, when Wilbur peeked his head in, he found the three to simply be staring at each other. 

“Well?” Tubbo said impatiently. “What?” 

Tommy and Fundy exchanged another look, then Fundy glanced back and met Wilbur’s eye. 

Wilbur motioned for him to continue and his son groaned quietly again. 

“Fine…” the fox boy said. “We’re—!” 

“We’re sorry,” Tommy said before he  could finish. “To put it lightly, we’re offering apologies and shit for  _ ‘bothering’  _ you.” 

Tubbo stared at them for a moment  with a mixture of shock and disbelief. His eyes darted back and forth between the Te as it trying to determine something. “Can you stop  _ spouting _ out your asses?” He finally demanded. 

“We’re _not!”_ Tommy shot back. “We’re being genuine, you prick!” 

“We were just messing with you,  Tubbo,” Fundy said. “Just having fun— a  _ prank  _ if you would?” 

“Why now?” 

“Pardon?” 

“Why now!” Tubbo demanded. “I get  you’re bored, but was I really the best target for that? I’m building a  _ house,  _ not some other stupid building, a  _ house.  _ I’m supposed to  _ live  _ here and you two have wasted my time and daylight because you’re  _ bored?”  _

Tommy seemed genuinely shocked to be told off by his friend. “Tubbo…” he began softly, but didn’t even finish his thought. 

Tubbo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. “Whatever,” he sighed. “I’m thankful you’re apologizing, but I’ll have to ask you to leave me alone now. It’s supposed to rain tonight and I’d really like to get this done beforehand…”

Tommy and Fundy nodded in understanding, but only Fundy turned to go. Tommy shot him a quick look and waved his hand at him, a sign to move on, but he himself didn’t move. 

Wilbur took what he could get, however, and when Fundy met him outside again, he raised a brow. “So….?” 

“So, what?”

Fundy raised a brow at him.  “You’re actually going to stay this time?” 

Wilbur frowned. “What do you mean?” He asked. 

Fundy rolled his eyes as he moved past  Wilbur. “Oh…  _ nothing…”  _ he sighed. “Just saying the facts is all…” 

“Fundy, I have little idea what you’re  going on about, but I don’t think that’s why I’m walking with you now,” Wilbur said and matched his pace to the younger fox-boy. 

“No?” Fundy scoffed. “Never is.” 

Wilbur’s frown deepened, but he didn’t  care enough about whatever angsty teenage mood his ‘son’ was most likely in. After all, he  _ was  _ still quite young.

“What’s in the bag?” Fundy asked. 

Wilbur’s eyes darted to the pouch still  situated on his side. It felt lighter now with the lack of two potions, but not much so. “Erm… what?” 

“The bag.” Fundy repeated louder, his  words were more pronounced, almost annoying so. “What’s in it?” 

“Uh…” Wilbur pulled it closer to his  side. He’d intended on sharing the news, at least he  _ thought  _ he had been, but the logical part of his brain told his not to. He’d just faug Fundy pranking the hell out of Tubbo, could he really be trusted with such a huge burden of secret? Was he even matre enough to help? 

“Wil?” Fundy sighed. “I won’t stop asking until you tell me.” 

“It’s… uh…” Wilbur swallowed.  _ “Supplies…”  _

“Supplies?” 

Wilbur nodded. “I’m building a house. A wooden ball near Tommy’s?” 

“A wooden ball?” 

Wilbur nodded. “I hear someone else is making a UFO, I don’t think a wooden ball is too far off from that, y’know?” 

Fundy’s ear twitched slightly. “I guess not…” he muttered, then his eyes darted over to Wilbur suspiciously. “Why are you here?” 

Wilbur frowned. “What do you mean?” 

“You’ve just told me off for interrupted work, only for you to put it off yourself?” 

“Oh…” Wilbur chuckled. “Yeah, I was putting it off until tomorrow, if you didn’t mind. But, uh… I actually came along to…” he sighed. “I’d actually like to talk to you about this prank you’ve just pulled— what did you make off of that?” 

“A laugh?” Fundy shot him an odd look.  “For  _ fun?”  _

“Is… that  _ all?”  _

Fundy huffed a breath. “I honestly don’t know what you want me to say, Wil.” 

The truth was, Wilbur didn’t either. “Alright. Though you realize you’ve made a laugh at someone else’s expense? Someone you’ve just met who seems to be a lovely young lad, is that right?” 

Fundy’s ear twitched, the only real sign  of nervous energy Wilbur had received this entire walk.  _ “Tommy _ said he wouldn’t mind.” 

“And, you _listened_ to him?” Wilbur demanded. “Why did you involve him?” 

“I didn’t  _ involve  _ him,” Fundy shot back.  “He involved  _ himself. _ Frankly, Wilbur, I don’t appreciate you all of a sudden telling me what to do?” 

“Trust is a _beautiful_ thing, Fundy,” Wilbur said, electing to ignore the younger’s comment completely. “It’s easy to gain, but also easy to lose. Though, once you lose it, trying to get it back is suddenly difficult.” 

“It was a  _ joke,  _ Wilbur.” 

“I’m only warning you to be careful,” Wilbur continued. “When someone trusts you, they would take over the world with you, yeah?” 

Fundy grumbled something under his breath, something Wilbur didn’t quite catch. His tail suddenly twitched wildly behind him and his fists clenched at his sides, but he remained quiet and placid. 

“What was that?” Wilbur asked. 

“Nothing.” 

“If you’ve got something to say, you  should just  _ say  _ it—!” 

“And, where have _you_ been?” Fundy suddenly snapped back at him. The two were only a few feet from his home, but he seemed more keen on this task than going inside. “Can you blame me for being bored, Wilbur? Honestly? We were fine and then you just suddenly left me with two of the most irresponsible kids in the world. What did you expect me to do?” 

“I don’t know!” Wilbur shot back. 

“Maybe help them make the house? Gather supplies for yourself? I would’ve thought you’d get in touch with the brunet one, Tubbo, yeah? He’s more responsible than Tommy, but you just didn’t do that. You got  _ yourself _ roped up in the irresponsibility.” 

“He was encouraging it—!” 

“Of _course_ he was, Fundy! That’s what Tommy does!” 

“How would you know?” Fundy spat.  “You remember someone I’ve  _ never  _ seen before, but you don’t remember life directly before this? With  _ me?”  _

Wilbur realized what he’d said a moment after he’d said it. A wave of guilt was quick to wash through him and, almost immediately, he was reaching a hand out for his son. “Fundy, I didn’t mean—!” 

“Oh,  _ save  _ it, _ Wilbur,”  _ Fundy growled  and jerked his shoulder harshly away from the touch, then spun around sharply. “I’ll be in  _ my  _ house if you need me.” 

The sound of the door slamming shut behind him felt like it would rattle in Wilbur’s subconscious forever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! It’s a bit late again (don’t mind that lmao...) To be perfectly honest, I was playing Minecraft with my sister and this slipped my mind until now.   
> That being said, I hope you enjoyed! Sorry it’s a bit short... This is probably the start of a decent plot I guess! Wilbur and Fundy’s relationship is being put to the test!   
> If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to post them below!   
> Have a great day! <3


	15. The Deal

After the brief interaction with Fundy, Wilbur decided that the best way to cope was to continue to try and gain business. Perhaps if he got enough money and business, Fundy would be happy. More importantly, he would be safe. 

The first place Wilbur went was the infirmary. Perhaps these doctors here would be more interested in potions, perhaps the most interested. 

“Hi, can I help you?” The man outside asked in slight disinterest upon noticing Wilbur approaching. 

“Um…” Wilbur nodded and pulled his bag close to his side. “Yeah, actually…” 

“Are you  _ alright?”  _

“Oh! Um, yes…” Wilbur chuckled nervously. “Yeah, everything is medically alright with me— actually, I was wondering if you were curious about trading?” 

Ponk tilted his head to the side. “Trading?” 

“Yes,” Wilbur said. “I gather you’re a doctor, yes? You’re the one to use the most potions around here?”

Ponk’s frown deepened considerably, more questioning if anything. “Yeah…” he said hesitantly. “Why?” 

“How many are you usually provided?” 

Ponk uncrossed his arms to peer around  the edge on the building suspiciously. “Erm…” he scratched his head. “Is this a  _ test?”  _

“If you’d like to look at it that way,  sure,” Wilbur shrugged. “For me, though, whoever you’re thinking of has  _ nothing _ to do with this.” 

“So, you’re not trying to wonder me or anything? Catch me in a lie or… whatever the hell it is that you do?” 

Wilbur shook his head. “We’re  _ both _ sticking our necks out here, if you’d like to look at it that way,” he said. “Me more than you, seeing as they actually  _ know _ and  _ like _ you here.” 

Ponk shrugged knowingly. “Alright, I  don’t get a lot, I’ll admit it. It’s infuriating, but I  _ suppose  _ it’s for a reason...” 

Wilbur cast a look to the surrounding  areas, making sure the coast was clear, before he leaned in close. “Would you like  _ more?”  _

Ponk’s brow lifted slightly, the most subtle sign of interest Wilbur had ever seen. The man’s eyes slid back and forth across the path as well, questioning. “This seems like a trap—!” 

“I assure you, it’s not. I have potions, Ponk , many potions for sale.” 

“Such as…?” 

Wilbur glanced over at the bag that  hung down next to his leg. He pulled open the flap, then peered into the bag. “Night vision, swiftness, poison… and regeneration.” 

_ “Regeneration?” _ Ponk leaned forwards.  “How did you—? You actually have some?”

“I have one,” Wilbur said. With one  hand, he reached into his bag and wrapped his hand around the warmest potion. “As I’m sure you’re aware, they’re difficult to acquire.” 

Ponk nodded silently, his eyes trained  on Wilbur’s hand as he slowly pulled out the light magenta colored potion. His expression dropped and shock and he quick reached out to grab Wilbur’s shoulder and spun him around into the wall. “That’s  _ real?”  _ He hissed. 

Wilbur nodded and concealed the  bottle once again in his bag. “Three diamonds each to start… or perhaps whatever you could offer me…” 

Ponk swallowed, but his gaze was  longing—  _ hungry.  _ His eyes never left Wilbur’s bag and still he spoke, his tone cautious. “Is this… allowed?” 

“It was never in the rules…” Wilbur  replied. “And, listen, Ponk, when you agree to be a possible client for me, the words of our trades don’t leave my lips. These are purely confidential, we could get in trouble, but the point remains: what if we’re simply not caught.” 

Ponk huffed out a shaky breath. 

“You could have an endless supply to  help whoever you need to,” Wilbur continued. “With no restrictions. You request, I give, we both get paid. Everyone’s happy, yeah?” 

“I… I don’t know…” 

“If you don’t want it, that’s fine,”  Wilbur said. Slowly, he let go of his bag, heading for a nonchalant and non threatening pose. “If you don’t want to get involved, I understand. Loyalty is a big part of friendships and I’m sure I could find another client take this—?” 

“No! No, wait!” Ponk reached a hand out  when Wilbur started turning to go. “Ugh…  _ fine,  _ you win. I’ll take the regen, night vision, and invisibility.” 

“9 diamonds or whatever else you could  offer me?” 

Ponk sighed and glanced over his  shoulder back towards the medbay. “6 diamonds and a pair of enchanted boots?” 

“What do they have on them?” 

“Erm… protection? Unbreaking… fire  protection?” 

At last, Wilbur nodded. “Deal.” He said.  “Do you have it on you or…?” 

“Yeah, hold on,”Ponk sighed. “I have an  e-chest on me.” 

Wilbur waited patiently for Ponk to pull  everything out. Internally, he was celebrating the fact that he’d managed to get not one, but  _ two  _ people to buy something from him. This was certainly an accomplishment, definitely a step forwards as well. 

“So, how are we doing this?” Ponk asked  not too long later after he’d set down his e-chest. “I have everything ready.” 

“Right.” Wilbur pulled out the three  bottles and set them in front of him near the edge of the table. He clasped his hands around them, then gave Ponk a stern look. “We count down from three and each take our stuff. Sound fair?” 

Ponk nodded, so Wilbur began. 

“Alright. One… two… three!” Wilbur  reached across the table and grabbed the goods, then he opened his bag and placed them inside. 

Ponk was quick and eager to snatch the  potions up as well like a snake lunging for a meal. “Shit, these  _ are  _ real…” he breathed. 

Wilbur lifted a brow as he stood back  nonchalantly. The coast was still clear and no one was in sight, but one could never be too cautious. “You thought they weren’t?” 

Ponk scoffed and shook his head. At  least, he pocketed the three bottles in his inventory. “I wasn’t sure what to think, honestly,” he said. “I don’t know you very well.” 

Wilbur shrugged. “You do now,” he said. “And, I trust I’ve made a good first impression?” 

_ “Definitely.”  _

At that, Wilbur smiled and stuck out a  hand expectantly. “Then, shall I look forward to hearing from you again?” 

Ponk regarded him with a careful eye. “As long as This stays quiet for both of us, Wilbur?” He smirked, then reached out and shook Wilbur’s hand firmly. “For sure.” 

“Good.” Wilbur continued. “Until then.” 

Ponk nodded at his one last time before he turned to go. 

Wilbur watched him for a moment and, when he considered the man to be far enough away, he peeked into his bag. The shining surface of diamonds and armour glinted up at him in the sunlight welcomingly. It brought a grin to his face. As long as—! 

“What are you doing—?” 

“Shit!” Wilbur jumped and spun around so quickly, he nearly nailed the teenager behind him in the face. 

Tommy was thankfully quick enough to duck, but the string of curses that followed were unfortunately uninterrupted. “What the fuck?” He demanded. “What are you trying to kill me for?” 

“Why are you sneaking up on me?” 

“Was not!” 

“Were, too!” Wilbur shot back. “You popped up out of nowhere, Tommy!” 

Tommy crossed his arms. “It’s not my  fault you’re getting to be an old  _ man,  _ is it?” 

Wilbur scowled at him. “I regret my fist missing your face.” 

“What the hell? I could tell you _stories_ of your stupid face, Bitch!” Tommy crowed. “You couldn’t hit me, I’m too quick, but I’ll get you!” 

Wilbur rolled his eyes and situated his bag closer to his side once again. “What the hell do you want?” 

“I’d ask the same,” Tommy said, his  bright, wandering eyes none too far from the bag as well. “You’re talking to  _ Ponk  _ now, yeah?” 

“Tubbo kicked you out, didn’t he?” 

“No!” Tommy crossed his arms.  _ “I  _ left.” 

“Did you?”

“Yes!” Tommy exclaimed. “On my own accord! Completely!” 

“And, you just _happened_ to stop by Ponk’s, then, yeah?” 

“I was… walking by…” 

“To go where?” 

“That’s none of your business!” Tommy  huffed. “Speaking of business, though, you’ve figured something out then, haven't you? What did you just trade with stupid  _ Ponk?”  _

“I don’t know what the hell you’re going on about…” 

Tommy sneered at him, then he suddenly reached out for the bag at Wilbur’s side. 

Wilbur spun away quickly, his own hands shooting out to stop Tommy’s from reaching his possessions sternly. 

Tommy seemed to mind very little that he was halfway to the ground now, he only glared up at Wilbur sharply. “What’s in the bag, Wilbur?” 

“Nothing.”

“Show me.” 

“No!”

_ “Why not?”  _

“It’s none of your business, stupid 

child!” Wilbur shot back. “Mind your own for a change, how about that?” 

“I’ll _make_ it my business!” Before Wilbur could stop him, Tommy lunged out for the bag again and, this time, he managed to get his hands on it. Before he could get it open, though, Wilbur jerked away sharply, attempting harshly to push the boy off. 

“Tommy!” He shouted. “Let go!” 

“Let me see!” Tommy shot back. 

“Wilbur!” 

“What’s going on here?” 

Both Tommy and Wilbur stood up in an instant as if nothing had happened at the voice that interrupted them. 

“Sapnap…” Tommy greeted begrudgingly. 

Sapnap cocked an eyebrow up at them curiously. “Tommy…” he said. “Wilbur… what’s the problem?” 

“Wilbur’s being a bitch!” 

“There’s no problem,” Wilbur grunted out and elbowed Tommy as hard as he could in the ribs. “We were just messing around…” 

“Over a bag?” 

Wilbur nodded once. “Children,” he shrugged. “You know how they are…” 

“He won’t tell me what’s in the bag!” 

Wilbur shot him a look to shut it, he willed and begged Tommy to keep it on the down low, praying that the boy would listen. “I told him it’s just building supplies, he wants some, but I’m not giving him any…” 

Tommy frowned at Wilbur suspiciously,  but the glint in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed. “Right…” he muttered, at least seeming to catch on. “We’re like  _ brothers.”  _

“No, I will cry.” 

Sapnap still didn’t seem convinced. “Why not just get your own shit, Tommy?” He asked. “Why do you need his shit?” 

“Because I don’t  _ want _ to get it!” Tommy  shot back. “Have you ever thought of that, Sapnap? Huh? Maybe I just didn’t  _ feel _ like it!” 

“We were good allies, Tommy,” Sapnap  said carefully. “Better than  _ I _ would have imagined. Lying to me won’t do you any good.” 

“I’m not lying.”

“Hm.” Sapnap crossed his arms  suspiciously. “Are you  _ sure?”  _

“Don’t you have something _better_ to do than interrogate me, Sapnap?” Tommy sighed. “Honestly, no wonder you get caught up in so much shit, you always have your nose in other people’s business.” 

Sapnap’s mouth snapped shut and his eyes seemed to widen angrily. 

Wilbur thought he would’ve lashed out right then and there and smacked Tommy across the face or, worse, run him through with a sword… but, he didn’t. 

“You’ll see, Tommy,” he said coldly instead. “You’ll see where this gets you soon…” then, without another word or acknowledgement, Sapnap suddenly spun on his heel and began to stalk away. 

Wilbur, to say the least, was surprised.  Not only had he not been expecting the interrogation from Sapnap, he hadn’t expected Tommy to stand up for him. Of course, saying so out loud would’ve been something he  _ wouldn’t  _ have liked to do, but he thought about it. Tommyinnit was certainly an odd person, that was for sure. 

“If I’m to keep your dirty little secret, Wilbur,” Tommy suddenly started up again when Sapnap was mostly gone. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned to face Wilbur slightly. “I’ll need a few things.” 

Wilbur resisted the urge to throw his head up and groan right then and there. Nonetheless, however, he kept himself calm and placid. “Fine…” he sighed. “What do you want, Gremlin?” 

“A simple thing, really…” Tommy began and crossed his arms behind his back. “So, so simple, you—?” 

“Quit stalling or you’ll get nothing.” 

“I want in.” 

Wilbur paused and his brow furrowed  curiously. Had he just heard that right? “Pardon?” 

“You heard me,” Tommy said.  “Whatever you’re doing, I want in. It’s clearly working for you, isn’t it?” 

“You don’t even  _ know _ what I’m doing.” 

Tommy scoffed and held out a hand. “It’s working well, is it not? Come on, that’s such a small price to pay for my silence.”

Wilbur glanced down at the hand  carefully, he was heavily considering it, but was Tommy  _ really  _ the best option? “A small price?” He asked curiously. “To hang out with  _ you?”  _

“Hey!” Tommy shot back. “Don’t shoot the messenger! It’s a one time deal, Bruv, take it or leave it.” 

Wilbur frowned. Tommy had yet to  prove himself to Wilbur, as odd as it may have been. However, they  _ had  _ just met earlier that day that either of them remembered. Perhaps there was more to Tommy that met the eye. Wilbur suddenly recalled what Sapnap had said earlier, ‘we were good allies, Tommy, better than I would have imagined…’ Perhaps the sixteen-year-old  _ was  _ worth a try. 

“Hurry up, my arm is getting tired.” 

Wilbur sighed again, but, at last, he reached out and locked his hand with Tommy’s. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll give you a chance, how about that? We’ll see what you’re made of, Kid.” 

Tommy gleamed at him with a glint in his eye that could only be described as mischief. He opened his mouth to say more and the two let go, but he was interrupted by the sound of something buzzing in his pocket. When he reached and pulled out his communicator, however, his eyes widened considerably when he saw what was on the screen. 

“You alright?” Wilbur asked. 

Tommy’s head snapped up as if he’d just recalled that Wilbur had been standing there. The wild look never left his eyes, but he nodded nonetheless. “Of course,” he said, clearly trying to remain serious. “Until then, Wilbur, I have business to attend to.” 

Wilbur bobbed his head in slight understanding, then crossed his arms as Tommy turned to go. “Until next time,” he repeated. “We’ll see what you’re made of.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Emmy again! Hope this is consider too late lol!  
> This is the start, as I’m sure you’ve gathered by now. Tommy and Wilbur are begininng to become more comfortable around each other and Wilbur’s motives are becoming clear!   
> Anyways, hope you’re enjoying this story so far!   
> Please leave a comment if you have any questions or concerns (or simply want to say hi!)   
> Thanks for reading and have a nice day! <3


	16. Better

The last thing Dream remembered was walking through the forest with the intent of finding out more about the circumstance in his home. When he’d found this place, he hadn’t at all intended for any of this nonsense to happen. This was only supposed to be a hang-out for his friends, not whatever was going on right now. 

People were being found half-dead in forests, others were waking up in the middle of nowhere, all of which with no memory on how they’d gotten there. 

That being said, Dream was determined  to get to the bottom of it… or, at least, he  _ had _ been. Now? He wasn’t so sure. 

Dream blinked up at the warm sunlight above him that twinkled through the crisp leaves of oaks. Frowning, he then reached up and brushed against said warmth. He was met with the skin of his face— his mask, which he prized so dearly so, wasn’t covering him at all. 

Dream reached and felt around his hair for the said mask, only to find it nestled in his exposed hair as well. Upon locating it, he grabbed the cool porcelain and pulled it back over his skin. After that, he brushed the hair from his hair and sat up. Where was he? 

Oaks towered well above his head, looking very similar to the ones back home. They were taller, sure, but the same kind— he couldn’t have been far off, then, right? 

Dream huffed a breath and pushed himself back onto his feet. He pulled his hood over his head again, relishing briefly in the comfort it brought. 

The soil beneath his feet was similar to home as well. Fresh and unused, just as he’d intended. The leaves were fresh and crisp as if they had only fallen this morning. However, there were no footprints that he discovered, an odd thing seeing that not even his own were they. So, how had he gotten here, then? 

After another glance around, Dream  soon discovered the part of the forest to be very unfamiliar to him. It was a part that he somehow hadn’t ever seen before. He pulled his communicator out of his pocket curiously, but was shocked to discover a buzzing screen. That couldn’t be right…. These things were supposed to work  _ anywhere  _ in the world. 

Dream smacked the side of the device in frustration, but the better part knew that it was useless. The screen continued to static and buzz, as if it were broken or disturbed. “What a piece of junk…” he muttered unhappily. 

_ ACGHH!  _

Dream stumbled back, his hand shooting down for the sword resting at his side, but the creature perched before him paid it no mind. Instead, it’s head twitched in such a way, it reminded Dream of an unimpressed eyebrow raise. 

Dream scoffed at his own foolishness and shoved the sword back in its sheath. He waved his hands towards the crow in annoyance, but the stupid thing barely even flinched. It regarded him with its still unimpressed, black and soulless eyes. 

“Scram!” Dream exclaimed. “Shoo—!” 

CAWHH! The bird spread its wings wide and squaked back at him in annoyance. It flapped its wings at him, almost as if it were a threat. 

Dream fell silent as the bird stared back at him again with its beady eyes, unbothered. It’s head twitched again, this time in the direction behind it, then it opened its wings again. 

The thing launched itself off the branch like a bullet and fluttered across the forest to a tree a bit further the way. Then, it turned back and regarded Dream once again. That was weird…

_ Follow me.  _

The words clicked in Dream’s mind, he was surprised he hadn’t realized it before. Here he was, unbothered by fox hybrids from salmons, but the very thought of an intelligent bird had escaped him until now. The damn thing wanted him to follow it. 

“This is dumb…” Dream found himself quick to mutter by his lonesome, but nevertheless, he began to walk. Who was around to see him doing so anyways? 

The bird seemed at last satisfied when he began approaching. It even took a. Omens to preen its feathers. When Dream became close enough to touch it, though, it would take off again, and perch itself on a branch a bit further down the path they took. 

The entire process continued on for a lot longer than Dream comfortable with. At first, he’d thought the bird was enchanted by his friends to help guide him home, but the deeper and deeper they went into the forest, the less he thought so. 

The sky above was beginning to dark, despite it being the dead of the afternoon. Clouds chased each other through the sky to block the sun and e crystal blue. In its wake, it left whispered and puffs of slate gray and gloomy clouds. 

_ “Dream WasTaken…”  _

Dream suddenly froze in shock from the voice so loud, it shook the trees. He reached a hand out quickly for his sword and, this time, he wasted no time unsheathing it from its scabbard on his side. “Who’s there?” He demanded. 

_ “Oh, how you’ve stumbled into my  _ _ clutches once again…!”  _

Dream whipped around and the hairs of his neck shot up with a shiver. He was met with a large, stone wall that was etched with unfamiliar markings, but there was nothing to show the origin of a voice. 

_ “After your daring escape, I expected  _ _ not to see you here willingly again…”  _

“Who are you?” Dream snarled. He raised his sword higher, threatening. “Show yourself!” 

_ “We cannot do such a thing…” _ the  voice…  _ voices  _ whispered so close to him, it was like they were in his ear.  _ “Don’t you remember…?”  _

Remember? Dream swallowed and stepped back nervously. What didn’t he remember? 

“Pull up those memories you’ve buried so deeply,” the voices chanted on. “Bring up the best version of yourself you can!” 

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t remember… no, I don’t know what you're talking about…” 

A tight, icy grip latched his shoulder so quick, it was like block of ice. “Remember…” the voices bounced skull.

Dream shook his head blearily. No, no,  no! He suddenly realized with a jolt. He grasped his pounding head in between his hands. He didn’t  _ want  _ to remember! 

_ “Just let us in, Dream…” _ the voices  chanted circles around his head.  _ “You know you want to…”  _

“Stop…” Dream gasped past the teariness of his own eyes. He shook his head and tried to move back, but his vision spun before him and, suddenly, he was on the ground. 

Inkiness looked over him like a shadow, blinding him to darkness. 

“Let us in.” 

“No—!” 

“Let us in!” 

“No,  _ please—!”  _

“LET US IN!” 

It was suddenly as if a switch had been flipped and Dream suddenly lost all control of his body. He collapsed back into the dirt below him; his eyes remained open, but unseeing. 

Instead of seeing the trees above him, or perhaps even the sky, Dream found his vision flashing instead. Flickering, almost, like a candle that had suddenly been lit. The obnoxious voices that had been ringing in his ears had faded considerably to small whispers, like gentle nudges of direction. 

_“You need them…”_ they whispered. 

Dream nodded slowly. In front of him, the image of two, familiar, circular black objects materialized. They bean floating towards him, but when he reached out to grab them, they were suddenly jolted away. 

_“You must_ stop him.” The voices growled. _“He alone holds the key…”_

A dark figure faded into view in front of him that grew lighter as Dream flew closer. It was a young, but tall, boy with blonde hair and a red-and-white shirt. 

“Tommyinnit,” Dream said. “Stop him…” 

_ “Yes…”  _ the voices hissed in agreement.  _ “The beggar, the thief… he stole what belongs to us….”  _

“Tommy…?” 

_ “Yes… if you bring him and our  _ _ possessions back, we can promise you great things….”  _

Dream’s breath froze in his throat. What could they possibly promise him? 

“Do you wish for power, Dream?” The voices coaxed on. “Fame…? Fortune…?”

“Y-Yes…” Dream whispered. He truly did. 

_ “If you make this deal with us, you will  _ _ get what you desire…” _ the voices snickered. 

The vision of Tommy faded and Dream  suddenly saw himself standing where the young boy had once been. In his hand, he held a glowing, purple axe that glistened in the light. As time went on, other things began to show: a kingdom, servants, friends…  _ happiness…  _

_ “Do you wish to join us now…?”  _

Dream smiled broadly as the better  version of him turned to face him. The mask was still on, but it showed more of his face… more of his confidence. He stood taller, straighter, and the axe made him look  _ powerful… _ . 

“Do you like what you see?” The better Dream suddenly asked. He held out a still-gloved hand with a familiar glint in his eye. “Would you like us to get you there?” 

Dream nodded eagerly. Oh, he did. He  really, really did. He reached out a hand for his better self, even as he felt the cold darkness beginning to seep into his bones. He wound be powerful, he would be respected and  _ loved…  _ “Please…” 

“Just a bit closer…!” 

Dream at last reached his better self and, without any more hesitation, he latched onto the hand. A cold chill was quick to run through him, but he had little energy left to care. 

This is it, he thought to himself as he fell. He would finally get what he desired. He would finally be better…. 

When the darkness closed in for the final time, Dream was beyond ecstatic to accept it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry This chapter is a bit late... and a bit short. I feel really bad for giving such a short chapter this late, but this is what was planned, so... what can you do? Lol   
> Anyways, as always, I hope you’ve enjoyed this chapter and I hope you’re enjoying the story as well!   
> Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns below (or if you’d just like to say hi! I really enjoy comments, they amazing motivation!)   
> Have a nice day! <3


	17. Value

The second Wilbur was out of sight, Tommy turned tail and ran as fast as he could back towards his home. He didn’t care if someone saw him, he didn’t care what anyone though; all he cared about was his discs. 

Dream’s message was fresh in his mind,  it played like a mantra over and over again, bouncing in his skull like a ball.  _ Meet me at your base now or your discs will burn.  _ How had he found them? Why did he have them? Why did he want them?  _ What did any of that even matter?  _

Tommy ran as fast as his legs could  carry him, his heart pounding in his ears. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t shared this information with Wilbur, he actually couldn’t be completely sure. Was it fear? Pride? Forgetfulness? He didn’t know—  _ why didn’t he know?  _

“Tubbo!” Tommy shouted as he burst through Tubbo’s front door so harshly, it rattled on its hinges. 

Inside, Tubbo jumped with a yelp, he whipped around to Tommy but when he saw the other boy’s expression, he froze. “What’s the matter?” 

“You have to come!” Tommy exclaimed. He charged into the house and grabbed Tubbo’s forearm, full intent on dragging him away from whatever he was doing. 

“Woah—what?” Tubbo demanded. 

“Tommy, slow down and tell me what’s going on!” 

“We have to go, Tubbo, come on!” Tommy shouted fiercely. “Now!” 

Tubbo, however, in his own confusion, was defiant. “Tommy, I can’t go unless you tell me what’s going on! Well, I mean I probably will, but you need to tell me what happened, alright?” 

“He got them, Tubbo!” Tommy snapped and whipped around towards his friend. “If we don’t go now, he’ll burn my discs!” 

Tubbo’s eyes widened. “Wha—? _Dream?_ How did he find them?” 

“I don’t know!” Tommy exclaimed. “That’s why we need to go and find out, isn’t it? I’d bloody tell ya if I knew!” 

“Okay!” Tubbo finally agreed. He pulled  off his working gloves and tossed them on the table behind him before he reached for his sword. “Okay, alright, just calm down. We don’t know what Dream  _ wants  _ from us, so he most likely won’t burn them for no reason, right?” 

“Tubbo, just  _ come on!”  _

“I’m coming!” Tubbo shot back. “Stop pushing me!” 

However, Tommy wasn’t pushing— not very much anyways. The second he was sure Tubbo was behind him, he took off out of the front door and leapt back over to the prime path. His feet met solid wood and pounded against nearly as quick as his heart. 

The wood creaked beneath him as he charged up the stairs so fast, he nearly tripped a full three times. However, he didn’t care. All he cared about were the discs. 

“HALT!” A familiar voice shouted when Tommy made it to his own land. “You know the drill, Tommy, not another step!” 

Tommy froze in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of Dream once again standing in the space above his house.

In his gloved hands, the man clutched the two, vinyl discs of which Tommy held so dearly. In front of him, the fire burned brightly and the edges of his porcelain mask glowed orange. 

“What do you want?” Tommy growled and unsheathed his sword. “We’ve already been through this, I don’t want to apologize.” 

“Oh, we’re far past that,” Dream said. “ Apologies are for wimps, you’re right about that much.  _ Real  _ man trade  _ real  _ things; it’s my bad for not noticing that sooner...” 

Tubbo cleared his throat and stepped  forwards. “Right, then,” he said. “What do you want?” 

“Hm…” Dream leaned forwards on his  axe and the shadows from the fire on his mask only made the smile more intimidating. “Well, let’s see… what do I  _ need…?  _ Or, rather, what do I  _ want…?”  _

Tommy swallowed nervously. He  crossed his arms over his chest as of that would bring him any condolence, but it didn’t work. Dream’s sudden sound of interest was quick to form a pit of despair in his stomach. 

“Oh! I know!” Dream snapped quickly,  gesturing with his axe towards Tommy. “That chest plate you’re wearing, it’ll do me very well.” 

Tommy looked down at his own chest,  quickly noting that for some reason, he was wearing his most expensive peice of gear. It was made of netherite, a material he’d spent  _ hours  _ getting. “What?” He demanded. “But, this took me so long—!” 

Dream held the discs slightly closer to  the flames and Tommy bit his tongue. It was an effective way to silence him and he hated it. “I don’t care if it took you three years, I  _ want _ it.” 

“Why?” Tubbo suddenly asked. “I’m  sure you have one—!” 

“You’re not sweetening the deal trying to  beg,” Dream said. “It’s only making me want your chest plate more and more.” 

“I have gold,” Tommy tried instead.  “Diamonds,  _ emeralds  _ even. Why do you want this chestplate in particular?” 

“Because it has value to you. As long as  you care for it, it  _ must  _ be worth  _ something…”  _

“I—!” 

Dream once again held the disc close to  the flame and Tommy’s mouth instinctively shut. He clenched his fists at his side and gripped his sword so tightly, it nearly slipped out of his sweaty hands. 

“That’s alright,” Dream said and  shrugged. “I don’t need the chestplate, I just need these discs, don’t I? As long as I have these,  _ I  _ alone control  _ Tommyinnit _ , don't I?” 

“You stupid, green prick, nobody control  the great—?” Tommy slammed his teeth on his lip so hard, he thought he drew blood. 

The discs suddenly grew very close to  the fire by Dream’s own hand, his head was turned slightly to the side as if examining Tommy infuriatingly so. “See?” He sighed. “Your whole life, Tommy, are these discs. Without them, you can’t live, can you?” 

“Dream…” Tommy swallowed and  stepped closer to the front of his house. He spread his arms slightly, though his sword never left his grasp. “You don’t need to do this.” 

“You don’t need to be defiant, Tommy,  do you?” Dream sneered. “No one likes a defiant and stubborn idiot.” 

“Speak from experience, yeah?” 

Dream’s expression hardened, though  he didn’t actually move the discs closer. 

Tommy cast a glance over his shoulder  at Tubbo for the sole purpose of a plan. He didn’t have one, of course, but he thought that perhaps Tubbo had  _ something,  _ right? The look he received in response was concerning. 

“Tommy, all I want is your chestplate,” Dream continued. “Just the chestplate, I really don’t think I’m asking for much.” 

“I grinded for  _ hours _ to get this!” 

“So?” Dream snorted and exchanged hands with the discs, to point at Tommy. “The chestplate for the disc…” 

“I can’t!” Tommy shouted back. 

Dream held the discs slightly closer to the fire. “Chestplate for the disc.” 

“Dream—!” 

“Tommy,  _ now.”  _

“No!” Tommy suddenly shouted. “You can’t make me do it, you green prick bastard! I’ll die before I listen to you…!” 

The daunting smiley snapped up to lock onto Tommy threatening amd Tommy felt his heart drop into his stomach. Then, before he could even process what he’d said, Dream pulled the discs away from the flames. The gesture was anything but friendly. 

“That can be arranged, Tommy.” Dream said coldly. He pocketed the discs at his side, then, as swift and smooth as butter, he hopped down from the top of Tommy’s house. A plume of dust rose around him like a cloud as he drew his axe from its sheath. “I can rip the chestplate off your chest myself.” 

Tommy swallowed nervously and slowly  drew his own weapon. He knew not what he’d said to suddenly have made Dream snap. Surely it hadn’t been  _ that  _ bad, though, right? Nonetheless, he stood his ground— he wouldn’t stand for bullies, Dream included. 

Dream approched him quickly, quicker than Tommy had ever seen before. He’d barely had time to raise his shield before Dream’s axe was over his head. The wood barely managed to catch the blade before it struck his skull. 

“Dream!” Tommy spat out in shock. “Watch where you hit, you’re going to kill me—!” 

“That’s the idea.” Dream raised his weapon again, but this time, Tommy was ready for it. 

In one, quick move, Tommy dove out of the way from the axe and held his own near Dream’s feet as he moved. The edge of the blade connected with the back of Dream’s caves just briefly enough to send him off-balance. 

Tubbo was close behind him to raise a foot and slam it into Dream’s chest. 

The man fell back, but not in the way Tommy had thought. Instead of his back hitting the ground, he twisted in mid-air and somehow managed to land in a classic superhero pose. When Tubbo tried to attack him again, he was as quick as a snake and lunged out of the way. The butt of his axe slammed into Tubbo’s shoulder with a thunk and the boy was sent sprawling back. 

A yelp was quick to escape the young boy as he tumbled right over the fence. 

“Tubbo!” Tommy shouted. 

“I’m alright!” Came the weary reply from further down below. “Keep going!” 

Tommy’s veins were filled with adrenaline at the account. It suddenly became clear to him that Dream wasn’t messing around… so, neither would he. He lashed out with his own weapon and slammed it against Dream side. When the man was taken off balance, he dove in again. 

Before Tommy’s axe could meet any more skin, though, Dream rolled out of the way, then flipped into a crouch and swept Tommy’s feet out from under him. 

Tommy slammed to the ground with a thud, but, when Dream tried to stand, suddenly he got an idea. He wrapped his hands around Dream’s foot and yanked him back. 

“Let go, Tommy!” Dream snapped. He twisted around and shoved his foot in Tommy’s face, but Tommy didn’t release his hold. 

“Give me my discs, you bastard  _ Prick!”  _

In response, Dream drew his leg back, then slammed his boot so hard into Tommy’s nose, he saw stars. The second Tommy’s grip loosened, the older man was standing again. 

Tommy saw two things through his blurry, tear-filled vision in that moment. One: Tubbo. The other: the green pearl that appeared in Dream’s hand. Shit. “Tubbo!” He exclaimed and, in a last ditch attempt as the pearl left Dream’s hand, he dove for the man’s ankle again. 

Tubbo realized what was happening quickly enough, but he reached the man right as he suddenly disappeared and Tommy face-planted into the grass empty handed. 

The scent and taste of blood was fresh in his sinuses, but Tommy still scrambled to keep going. “Come on!” 

“Come on?” Tubbo’s hands were latching around Tommy’s arms to help him up. “Where?” 

Tommy glowered off into the distance and wiped the sticky blood that had appeared on his face. Never had he ever been so angry. “To get my fucking discs back.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another chapter! And this time it’s on time (sort of...)   
> Hope you’re enjoying this doc (please let me know)   
> If you have any questions, comments, concerns, corrections, is simply want to say hi, let me know!   
> Thanks! Have a great day! <3


	18. Ascending

Tommy and Tubbo ran as fast as they could in the direction in which Dream had disappeared. They knew not where they were going or why, but it didn’t stop them for a moment. 

It didn’t take long to find Dream at all, however. Tommy had been prepared to run for the remainder of the day, but his shock rose quickly when he looked up to see the beginnings of a tower phasing into existence. At the top, a familiar green man was rising. 

“He’s building up!” Tubbo panted next to him. “What do we do?” 

Tommy scoffed and shot his friend a look. “What do you think?” He asked, then without waiting for an answer, he ran over to the base of Dream’s block tower. 

“Tommy, are you s—!” 

“Come on, Tubbo!” 

Without another word, Tubbo stumbled over the tower to help. 

Tommy brought out every single block of anything he owned, then without waiting for permission, he took off. It was a good thing he’d always enjoyed the feeling that being up high had brought him. He couldn’t be sure exactly why, but it was useful to him in that very moment. 

He built up block after block as fast as he possibly could, heading to the top where he knew Dream was. Tubbo was growing further and farther behind by the minute, but Tommy didn’t care. He could handle this by himself. 

Tommy was only about halfway up when a noise drew his attention to the top. It was a laugh— taunting and cruel. When he craned his neck up, he saw Dream sitting and staring at the horizon placidly. His feet swung back and forth like a child, as if he were unbothered by everything.

“Give me the discs, Dream!” Tommy shouted up to the man above him. 

Dream glanced down at him in disinterest, then shrugged and turned back to the distance. “Where’s my chestplate?” 

“You can’t have it!” Tommy called back. “I’ve told you that already!” 

“Well, then, you can have the discs back!” 

“Dream, that’s not fair,” Tubbo shouted  up next. “They don’t  _ belong _ to you! Neither does the chestplate! You can’t just steal someone’s stuff then expect them to give you something of theirs in return for it!” 

“Yeah! They belong to me, you have no right to—!” 

“Oh,  _ please,  _ Tommy, you and I both  know that’s not true.” At last, Dream rose to his full height to fully look down at Tommy. His face and expression were both hidden, but Tommy could feel the smugness. “The discs don’t belong to  _ you.”  _

“What?” Tommy frowned at him in  confusion as he pulled out more blocks to build with. “What are you going on about? I  _ came  _ here with them!” 

Dream scoffed. He drew his bow again and aimed another shot down at Tommy. Tommy ducked underneath the blocks he’d stolen to use himself and the arrow landed inches away from his shoulder. 

“Will you stop that!” He demanded. 

“Why?” 

Tommy groaned in frustration and strapped his shield tighter around his arm. He prepared his blocks with one hand, then held his shield above his head as he slid back into the open. Another arrow lodged into the wood, it’s top an inch from his face, but Tommy tried to pay it no mind. “Because it’s annoying, Dream!” He shouted as he began to build once again. “I can’t help but feel like this isn’t friendly fire.” Another arrow thunked into the shield. 

“It’s not!” 

“Why?” Tommy demanded. “I can’t help but feel you’ve had a sudden change of heart!”

_ Thunk!  _

“You took what didn’t belong to you!” 

“I did not!” Tommy huffed out an  exhausted breath, but he did not take a break. “I don’t know where you heard that, but I’m supposed to be…  _ protecting  _ those discs! I didn’t steal them!” 

“Protecting them from what?” 

“I don’t know!” 

“How could you say that you didn’t steal them, then?” Dream asked. “If you don’t even know how or why you have them!” 

“How do  _ you  _ know?” 

“I know _everything,_ Tommy,” Dream snapped back with his voice of venom. “At the very least, I know more than you think!” 

Tommy drew his sword the second he’d reached the top of the platform and, when Dream’s axe came for his head, he rolled out of the way. He popped back up a bit off to the side, a bit too close to the edge than he was comfortable with. 

“Looking for these?” Dream taunted him. In his hand, he held the two discs fanned out so both were visible. It was Cat and Mellohai. 

“Give them back!” 

“Give me the chestplate.” 

“No!” 

“Then, you can’t have them back…” 

“Dream, this isn’t funny!” Tommy snapped back at him. “I don’t know what game you think this is, but it’s not fun!” 

“I’d beg to differ, Tommy,” Dream snorted and held the discs cover the edge of the build. 

Tommy felt his heart drop at the sight of it, but when he lunged to grab them, Dream held them out further. 

“Ah! Ah! Ah!” He said and laughed coldly. “Not another step.” 

“This isn’t funny!” 

“I think this is _hilarious,”_ Dream chuckled. “Watching you struggle so hard to get these.” 

“You’re psychotic!” 

_ “Tommy, _ ” Dream tsked unfortunately  and shook his head. “Don’t be so  _ dramatic.”  _

“I’m not being—!” Tommy slammed his teeth down onto his tongue to prevent himself from speaking when Dream lifted one of his fingers off of the vinyl. 

“Do you see that, Tommy? Right there.” Dream nodded over to him as if the answer was obvious. “Do you see what happens when I have these discs?” 

“Yeah! You turn into a huge b—!” Tommy silenced himself again when the second finger lifted. 

“That right there,” Dream continued. “How the simplest actions can make you shut your mouth for once.” 

“You—!” Another finger lifted and practically unshed Tommy’s mouth shut again. He grunted in frustration under his breath, but did not continue, even as Dream laughed. 

“You know what, Tommy?” The man chuckled. “You’re right. You win, alright? I back down.” 

“What?” 

Dream nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “You  can have your discs….  _ Go get them.” _ The final fingers lifted and, just like that, Tommy’s discs plummeted. It suddenly was as if the curse had been lifted that broke the ice that had gathered around his feet. 

Tommy dove towards the edge his most prized possessions had disappeared and fell to his knees beside it. He craned his neck over the edge without caring if Dream was near him. 

“I’ve got it!” Came the quick reply from Tubbo. 

Tommy could see down near the middle as Tubbo reached out and tried to grab them, but his fingers were just a centimeter too far. Tubbo cursed loudly and fell to his stomach and Tommy felt his own drop as well. He couldn’t believe it when Tubbo actually caught one, but his happiness didn’t last long. 

He heard the sound of an arrow being loaded into the crossbow before he heard it and, when he turned his head to where it’d come from, it was too late. He’d barely risen to his knees before the arrow was fired and the disc was knocked clean from Tubbo’s hand. 

Tubbo cursed again from below them and Dream loaded another arrow, but Tommy wouldn’t let Dream hurt his friend next. So, instead he leapt back onto his feet and slammed his sword into the crossbow. Dream yelped as the weapon dropped clean from his hands and, when it hit the floor, Tommy didn’t waste time kicking it over the edge as well. 

“There!” He crowed. “Now, we’re even.” 

Dream slowly turned to look back over at Tommy from where he’d been looking over the edge as well. Tommy felt his heart drop into his toes and part of him couldn’t help but feel like he’d made a huge mistake. 

“You had it coming…” he said, but still took a nervous sto back as Dream drew the axe. “You did it first!” 

Dream raised his axe into the arm, then, with all of his might, he swung it towards Tommy. 

Tommy leapt out of the way and, in the spot he’d once stood, Dream’s axe had cracked the wood clean through the middle. He cursed, but when he tried to raise his sword, Dream’s axe was coming for him again. 

“Stand still, Tommy,” Dream’s low and cold voice growled at him. “Stay still we can make this quick.” 

“I think I’ll pass, Dream,” Tommy said and swung his sword at the man’s face again. 

Dream, however, was quick to dodge out of the way and the two blades met with a clang. 

“I value my life quite a bit actually!” “Well, it’s too bad that I _don’t.”_ Well, that wasn’t good at all. 

_ “Tommy, I have a shot!”  _

“What?” Tommy rolled out of the way just inches away from the area Dream’s blade had lodged into the wood. He tried to kick at the weapon, but Dream was too quick for that. 

“I have a shot!” Tubbo repeated in his 

ear. “Should I take it?” 

“What the hell are you going on about?” Tommy snapped. He arched out of the way inches away from Dream’s sword-tip. His foot was quick to meet the edge of the tower and he was only given a second to glance down before Dream advanced again. “Yes! Take the shot, Tubbo! Don’t just stand there!” 

A small whine of hesitance made its way from Tommy’s earpiece and, vaguely, from the ground, he heard the arrow fire. He held his shield up in front of his body, ready for it to hit Dream, but the arrow did no such thing. Instead, there was a sharp pain and Tommy’s shoulder followed by a twang as the arrow embedded itself in his skin and he cried out. 

“Holy shit! Was that you?” 

With the opportunity having arisen, Dream didn’t waste time thinking. Instead, he drew back his axe and slammed it into Tommy so hard, his vision wavered. 

The next thing Tommy knew, he was falling, plummeting through the air like a rock. He tried to ready his water bucket to catch himself, but right as he got it out, his body met the floor painfully. He gasped sharply as the pain flared through him and the familiar sensation of emptiness was quick to rush through him like a crushing, black wave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! I hope you’ve enjoyed it!  
> As always, questions, comments concerns down below! (Please...?)  
> The story is rolling slowly, I know I’m sorry for the length, but I promise it’s getting there lol!  
> Have a great day! <3


	19. Paralyzed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW!!! For mild panic attack!!! You have been warned...

For only a moment was Tommy allowed to breathe in the darkness. It wasn’t long before the pain and agonizingly slow process of ‘respawning,’ as he’d decided to call it, faded into him. 

There was a flurry of movement when he opened his eyes, then was a splash of water by his head. After that, two pairs of heavy footsteps made their way over to him. 

“Dream!” A familiar, frantic voice snapped. Tubbo. “Leave it be!” 

“0r what?” Dream scoffed with a wheezing laugh. “You’ll fight me?” 

The sound of a sword scraping against its sheath met Tommy’s ears and sent a shiver up his spine. “If I have to…” Tubbo replied coldly. 

Tommy tried to rise and help, but quickly found himself to be completely immobile. He could barely even find the energy to grunt out an insult at Dream when he laughed again. 

“Thanks, Tubbo, but I think I’ll have to  pass on the duel. But, there is  _ one _ more thing I’d like to show you…” 

Dream took a step towards the two and Tubbo was quick to stumble back in fear. Tommy was almost glad he wasn’t able to move because he was certain he would’ve instinctually done so as well. 

Dream’s boot landed near his aching shoulder, then his head appeared over Tommy. The smiley face had never seemed so taunting. 

Tommy grit his teeth in anger at his own body’s refusal of commands. Come on! He urged it. Move faster! Heal faster! Move! 

“Dream,” Tubbo’s voice was low behind him, more threatening than Tommy had ever heard it. “Step away from him.” 

Dream’s head snapped up and, for the first time, Tommy got a bit of a glance behind the mask. It was a clean shaven face and perhaps the traces of a pink mark—a scar? “Very well, Tubbo,” he said and at last stepped back. “Let’s not waste time here, I’ve got something to show you two.” 

Tubbo was quick to rush to Tommy’s side when Dream stepped away. He crouched next to Tommy and rested a hand on his good arm. “You alright?” 

Tommy’s body was still refusing most  commands, but he finally found the energy to at least speak. “Tubbo…” he grunted out. “Why… did you hit...  _ me?”  _

“I didn’t _mean_ to…” Tubbo muttered and grabbed each one of Tommy’s biceps to help him to sit up. The boy stared into Tommy’s eyes, but it didn’t seem like he was trying to make eye contact, more like examining him. “I saw a target and you told me to take the shot! So, I did!” 

“At  _ Dream,  _ Tubbo,” Tommy snapped.  “At  _ Dream!”  _

“I know,” Tubbo muttered. “I thought  you  _ were  _ Dream, to be fair, alright? Now, are you hurt?” 

Tommy grunted in frustration the second his energy began to slowly trickle back into him. “I can barely move, Tubbo!” 

“Tommy, I don’t think—!” 

“If you two would now direct your attention to me now.” Dream seemed ecstatic to interrupt and when Tommy looked over at him, his stomach seemed to drop move. 

“Dream!” 

The smug feeling returned as Dream regarded him briefly. In fact, he didn’t seem to be too terribly interested even as he he’d the discs closer to the fire than he’d ever done before. 

“Dream, stop—!” 

“Tommy, I don’t want to be that guy,”  Dream said unfortunately. “But, there’s consequences for actions around here. If I don’t punish  _ you,  _ then that sets a bad view to everyone else, doesn’t it? 

Tommy tried desperately to get his body to listen for more than a few seconds at his time, but the most he could get away with was a constant shiver. Tubbo was still holding onto him and, if he were to let go, Tommy most likely would’ve fallen. 

“So, you must understand why I have to do this—!” 

“No!” Tommy struggled harder to no avail. “Stop!” 

Dream’s hand slowly began to descend towards the flame, uncaring, and Tommy felt as if he were descending as well. “I’m sorry, Tommy,” he said. “I didn’t want it to come down to this.” 

“No—!” Tommy gasped out with a cry as the discs finally met flames and Dream’s fingers left them. His breath froze in his lungs and he was quickly struggling in Tubbo’s hold. 

“Tommy—!” Tubbo tried to protest, but quickly learned that it was pointless. 

“You Bastard!” He screamed at Dream frantically and he flipped onto the ground and began stumbling his way over to the flames. “You prick!” 

The smug vibes that Dream always seemed to give off grew considerably in volume as he slowly stepped away from the mess. Then, with a final, amused scoff, he finally turned and walked away. He didn’t even look back over his shoulder as if the idea of either one attacking him was stupid. 

“Shit…!” Tommy cursed brokenly, it felt as if a part of him had been ripped away. “No, no, no!” In the flames, he could see the smoldered remains of his most prized possessions: gone and destroyed. When he tried to reach out and grab them, though, suddenly there were hands pulling his own back. 

“You’ll burn yourself, Tommy,” Tubbo said gently. “Be careful.” 

“They’re my discs!” Tommy shouted over at him. “He burned my discs!” 

“I know—!” 

Tommy stared down at the broken mess, too shaken to respond. The fire burned so brightly, so dangerous, but so welcoming… what was he without his discs? Before he knew it, he was begininng to choke up, emotions reached up and grasped an iron fist around his throat. “No…” he whispered. “No, no, no…” 

“Tommy…?” A hand reached over and touched his shoulder, but Tommy jerked away. 

“No, no, no…” he repeated. “Anything but them!” Then, before anyone even had time to react, Tommy pushed himself up onto shake legs, back towards his house so quickly, he nearly tripped. 

“Tommy!” His friend called after him, but Tommy didn’t listen. 

He ran as fast and as far as he could before he couldn’t move any longer he collapsed into his knees in the grass. He then got down on his hands and knees to try and catch his stuttering breath. 

The discs, he thought to himself. The  discs were too important and now youve failed…! Failed what, he wasn’t sure, but  _ failed.  _

“Tommy?” A worried voice called out in the distance. “Tommy, where are you?” 

Tommy didn’t respond, but the shaky breathing must’ve been quick to give him away. It had many been but thirty seconds after Tommy had got here that new sounds met his ears past his own sobs. 

“Tommy—?” 

“Go away,” Tommy snapped before T ubbo could finish. He didn’t want Tubbo to see him like this— he didn’t want _anyone_ to for that matter. “P- _ please…”  _ his voice was quieter all of a sudden, as well as teary and choked. It breezed past his lips in between choked cries. 

However, Tubbo crossed the room in a  few quick steps, then crouched down beside Tommy. “Tommy, hey—!” 

“Go…” a hand touched his shoulder and  Tommy yanked the limb away again. “Please  _ go!  _ Please…” 

“I won’t,” Tubbo insisted and sat back  onto the floor. He rested his back on the tree nearest him and pulled his own legs to his chest. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Tommy shook his head quickly. He  reached up his hands and grasped the ends of his hair tightly and painfully between his fingers, but Tubbo was quick to step in. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” he said softly. “Don’t  pull your hair out, you’ll ruin it, yeah?” 

Tommy at last looked up at him with  watery eyes, more concerned if anything. His face was puffy and red from crying, but Tubbo didn’t seem to care. 

The boy smiled at him warmly, but it  only made Tommy’s heart twist more. 

“He-He burned it, Tubbo!” Tommy  gasped sharply. He took a second to gulp in a few more shaking breaths before he continued. “He  _ took _ it, the only thing I have left from my past, a-and he burned it in front of my eyes!” 

Tubbo, who had been watching him with  carefully eyes the entire time, finally spoke again. “Can… Can I touch you?” 

Tommy frowned. Touch him?  “W-What?” 

“Can I touch you?” Tubbo repeated just  as gently. “Please?” 

Tommy sniffed with a frown, but he  eventually surrendered a nod. He didn’t know where this was going for where it would end up, but he trusted Tubbo enough Surely. 

With the consent now in place, Tubbo  reached over and gently grabbed Tommy’s wrists. He pulled them away from his hair, then held them out in between them in hopes of helping to ground him. 

“Why’re you holding my hands?” Tommy  sputtered, gasping sharply. “I’m a big man, I don’t need—!” 

“Holding hands doesn’t make you any  less of a man,” Tubbo said. “I’m only trying to help you, yeah?” 

The act only made Tommy spiral more.  The slightly steady breaths he’d been taking before suddenly burst out of control with another sob. He shook his head and looked away from Tubbo as his body continued to shudder spastically. What was wron with him? Why was he doing this? 

“Deep breaths,” Tubbo told him softly.  He tightened his grip on his hands, but it barely helped. “You need to calm down, alright?” 

Tommy’s eyes flickered up to meet his  gaze, but the words didn’t do much to calm him. He continued to gasp out shaky sobs that wouldn’t stop no matter how hard he tried. 

“Try breathing with me,” Tubbo  suggested softly. He inhaled slowly, loudly enough for Tommy to hear, then raised his brow expectantly. “Like that, yeah?” 

Tommy began to shake his head, but  Tubbo tightened his grip slightly and breathed in slowly again. At last, seemingly given no other options, Tommy opened his mouth to try and copy. 

“Good!” Tubbo smiled like he was three. Tommy tried to pull away, embarrassed, but Tubbo held tightly and his expression showed no judgement. “That’s not so bad, is it?”

When he inhaled softly, this time, Tommy was able to match it, even if it didn’t sound or feel the easiest to do. Nonetheless, however, he did it. 

Again and again, the two breathed together, in and out in the steadiest rhythm they could manage. In… out…. in… out… until finally Tommy’s gasping breaths had calmed considerably. 

When Tommy felt his own thudding pulse beginning to calm and when he could feel his breaths coming much easier, Tubbo finally let go of his wrists. He smiled softly when Tommy glanced up at him. “I can go now, if you’d like,” he said. “You’re calm now, right?” 

Tommy blinked at him, but when Tubbo moved to stand, suddenly he reacted instinctively. His hand shot out from beside him and grabbed onto Tubbo’s wrist, then he pulled him back to the ground almost harshly. “Don’t go…” he whispered brokenly, perhaps thinking that if it was said quietly, it wouldn’t be as humiliating. He kept his gaze to the ground as he spoke, ashamed. “Please…” 

“O-Okay…” Tubbo replied softly. “Yeah, alright…” he slowly scooted closer until the two were pressed together, their shoulders tight. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

“Talk ‘bout what?” Tommy mumbled softly and slowly pulled his knees to his chest. It made him feel safe, secure like his own little hug. 

“I’d say about what just happened, but…” Tubbo shrugged. “Whatever you’d like, I suppose… just to help you calm down first…?” 

Tommy scoffed, then sniffed sharply.  “What do you want me to say, Tubbo? I just watched my discs get burned in front of me. The  _ last  _ connection to my life before is  _ gone…”  _

“Well, actually, I have information on that that might help…” Tubbo continued. “I wanted to calm you down first, I wasn’t sure you’d listen…” 

Tommy frowned at him. “W… What…?” 

“The discs…  _ smoldered,  _ Tommy, they  didn’t snap. If they were real, they would’ve snapped, is what I’m saying. The material was different— usually you see smoldering more with  _ plastic, _ not vinyl.” 

Tommy looked over to stare at him with a mixture of shock and disbelief. He might also been trying to seem upset, but it was a bit hard to take him seriously with the puffiness of his eyes and his running nose. “What the hell are you going on about?” 

“I… I think they were fake, Tommy…”  Tubbo told him softly. “Those discs he burned we’re  _ fake…”  _

“Why would he do  _ that?”  _

Tubbo shrugged innocently, a clear enough answer on its own.

Tommy was up and standing before  Tubbo could stop him, stumbling across the room to the doorway, most likely to see for himself. He didn’t know why  _ anyone  _ would possibly do that— what satisfaction could Dream possibly have gained from that? It was….  _ Twisted.  _

Tubbo stood to follow more calmly and, together, the two made their way back across the land. 

Tommy felt his breath catch in his throat when he located the spot the destroyed discs laid, but when he moved to step back, Tubbo appeared beside him. 

“You want me to bring it to you?” 

Tommy shook his head. “I-I can do it,” he muttered, mostly just trying to hype himself up. “I’m a big man.” 

“Alright,” Tubbo said and removed his hand. “Let’s go, then…” 

Despite his earlier claim, Tommy still hung a bit back from the mess, just beyond Tubbo’s shoulder, who took the lead. The closer he got to the pile, the more the burnt smell drifted over to him, nearly choking. He wanted to run away, but he forced himself to stay. 

“Here,” Tubbo said and crouched next to the pile. He picked up a piece owned and offered it up to Tommy. “It’s plastic,” he said. “See? You can kind of smell it, yeah? And, see how it smoldered?” 

Tommy swallowed, then he hesitantly  reached out to grab it. At the very first feeling, a shiver was quick to go through him. He brought it to his nose quickly and gave it a sniff, shocked to discover…  _ plastic?  _

“No, no, no…” he muttered under his breath. His eyes felt like they were about to pop out of his head as he scanned it. “Why would he do this?” 

Tubbo stood to lay a hand on Tommy’s shoulder comfortingly. “You see it?” 

Tommy, at last, nodded shakily. He  looked up from the mess in his hands to Tubbo, then off in the distance in the direction Dream had disappeared. “Plastic...” he muttered and wiped his eyes. “He  _ burned _ it to get a  _ reaction _ out of me...” 

“I thought Dream was supposed to be nice,” Tubbo remarked. “At the very least, burning it to teach you a lesson… but, to get a reaction—?” 

“It’s fucked up.” Tommy growled. He  closed the piece of burnt plastic in his hand, not caring how the edges were quick to bite into his skin. He squeezed it so hard, it cracked. “He burned something sentimental in front of me to get a  _ fucking  _ reaction!” 

Tubbo stepped back calmly, silently, almost tensely. 

“The twisted, green _prick,”_ Tommy clenched his fists harder in anger and felt as the plastic in his hands slowly gave way. He looked up to glare into the distance; no more tears were shed and the sadness was quickly replaced with anger. “I’ll tell you this, Tubbo,” he said. 

Tubbo’s voice was suddenly small,  almost afraid.  _ “What?”  _

Tommy regarded him with a cold look, unbothered briefly by his friends fear. “Dream will regret the day he thought he could get away with this,” he promised. “I’ll make sure he goes down if it’s the very last thing I do…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading another chapter! This really means a lot to me! I hope you’re enjoying the story, please let me know if you are. Also, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you know where they go!  
> Sorry This is a bit late, but they usually are, so...  
> Dream has the discs now! The beginning of Never-Ending-Saga lol... stay tuned for more content!  
> Have a great day! <3


	20. Together

Tubbo hadn't been doing much since the accident had occurred yesterday, he’d only really gone to take Tommy home and make sure nothing happened to him. After that, he’d finally put the finishing touches on his house and called it a night early. 

This morning, though, he hadn’t been  expecting to be awoken via bucket of water by Fundy. He hadn’t been expecting to be bombarded with messages from Tommy, then dragged into such things as a  _ socialization  _ club, or even feeling like he’d been set on babysitting duty with making sure Fundy didn’t get into too much trouble. 

Wilbur Soot, who was somehow Fundy’s father, had been missing for quite a few days now. Well… not exactly missing, just out of sight or busy, according to Fundy. Too busy, it seemed like, to even give his son the attention he so desperately craved. And, now, everyone else had to deal with it. 

Nonetheless, the socialization bc Lin  was something Tubbo tried to keep at the back of his mind. He was well aware of the fact that it was a trap, a ploy set by Fundy to get back at them for  _ God knows what,  _ but he didn’t have the time to deal with it now. Based on the way Tommy had been messaging him, he was needed. Or, at least somewhat needed, Tommy tended to over-dramatize things. 

As Tubbo approached Tommy’s dirt house in the hill, however, he could sense something amiss. Perhaps it was the way the fire had grown cold and there were holes scattered around the base… or perhaps even the boy pacing worriedly outside. 

“Tommy!” Tubbo called worriedly as he stepped out of the way of a gaping hole. “Are you okay?” 

The boy looked up, as if this was e first human he’d seen in years. Or, perhaps, hadn’t slept in years. “Tubbo!” He shouted. “Where have you been? I’ve been messaging you all morning, why didn’t you come?” 

“I was dealing with—!” 

“Nevermind!” Tommy waved his hand absently and, the second Tubbo was close enough, he reached out and snatched his hand. “Come on!” 

Tubbo yelped as he was pulled into the home and nearly tripped and fell on his face right then and there. Tommy, however, kept moving on, almost shakily so— there were dark circles under his eyes suddenly motif left now that Tubbo was looking. “Erm… Tommy?” 

“What?” 

“Have you slept?” Tubbo asked, trying to remain placid. 

Tommy scoffed, he waved a hand behind him as he moved away from Tubbo. 

“Is that a no?” 

“I’ve been thinking too much to sleep,”  Tommy replied quickly. “Haven't you? It’s been eating me, Tubzo,  _ eating  _ me. Why would he do that, you know?” 

“It _is_ curious…” Tubbo admitted as he stepped inside. He cast an uncertain glance around the area, just now he was able to note the slight mess. “Though, you need sleep, Tommy…” 

“God. Tubbo, don't be so  _ clingy!”  _ Tommy shouted from the back room. “I’ve called you over to show you something— something I found while I wasn’t  _ sleeping,  _ mind you…” 

“What are you going on about?” 

“Come see!” 

Tubbo rolled his eyes slightly, but he nonetheless followed his friend deeper into the house. When he reached the back room, he was confused to discover… nothing out of place? “Right, um…” he cast another look around, just to be sure, but there was nothing that met the eye. “What’s this?” 

“I was pacing last night, as you do when you can’t sleep, you know?” Tommy asked and wrung his hands together. “And, I discovered something, Tubbo. Something that I don’t think I was supposed to discover.” 

At the very least, that grabbed Tubbo’s attention. He crossed his arms curiously over his chest and locked eyes with his friend. “What’s that?” He asked. “Have you put your nose where it doesn’t belong?” 

“It’s _my_ house,” Tommy scoffed, but he nonetheless gestured over to the wall, a spot in the corner that looked like a ball had slammed into it at one point. “Notice anything?” 

“Other than you're a klutz?” Tubbo  asked. “That looks like a  _ baseball _ dent.” 

Tommy frowned at his distaste fully first, then crossed the room in a few, short steps. He held Tubbo’s gaze then he stood next to the wall and gestured even closer. 

Tubbo examined it for a moment, but he wasn’t really able to see anything else. Perhaps the dent wasn’t what Tommy wanted him to see. “You’ve got me…” he finally admitted. “I don’t see it.” 

“Exactly!” Tommy pointed at him  enthusiastically. “Because we’re not  _ supposed _ to.” 

“Come again?” Tubbo asked, a small part of him was beginning to question sleep deprivation, but surely it wasn’t this bad after only one night, right? 

“It’s a hidden  _ door,  _ Tubbo,” Tommy  said and smacked his hand on the wall. A different sound echoed from the area— something hollow.“A hidden  _ door.”  _

“A door?” Tubbo asked curiously. He  frowned at the wall, but still nothing met his eyes. “Surely  _ not, _ let me see.” 

Tommy stepped back and crossed his  arms over his chest again. He seemed almost smug as Tubbo approached. “A door,” he said and, as Tubbo reached it, he slammed his hand on the wall again. “Someone’s hidden a  _ door _ here…” 

Tubbo had been ready to call bullshit, perhaps force Tommy to have a lie down, but when he placed his hand on the wall, suddenly he heard it, too. The hollowness that seemed to echo back at him. He shot a look to Tommy, but the boy was quick to raise his eyebrows at him, then pull out his pickaxe. 

“I’ll show you,” Tommy said and wielded the tool high in the air. “Stand back so I don’t hit you.” 

Tubbo obliged silently, his eyes glued to the wall as Tommy struck the metal against it. The sound dinged and echoed through his room and he slammed the pic into it again. Tubbo watched in awe as the said wall began to give away, revealing just what he’d been ready to call bullshit on. He cursed. 

“I told you!” Tommy exclaimed and threw the pickaxe aside. He stuck his head into the hole briefly, before popping it back out to grin at Tubbo. 

“What _is_ it?” Tubbo asked curiously and stepped forwards again. He reached out and brushed his hand along the inside of the wall. He huffed out a quiet breath when the wall crumbled beneath his fingers. 

“It looks like a tunnel,” Tommy said. “I ventured a bit on my own, it goes far.” 

“And, you still called me to accompany you?” 

“Of course,” Tommy said as if it were nothing. “You’re my best friend.” 

And, _I’m_ the clingy one, Tubbo thought smugly, but he kept that to himself.he watched silently as Tommy drew a stick from his inventory— a torch— and he felt his stomach drop. “Wait,” he said. “Are you sure?” 

Tommy stopped in his tracks to cast a look over his shoulder at Tubbo, a single brow lifted curiously. Upon noticing the discomfort, he silently as well held out a hand. “We won’t leave each other’s side,” he said seriously. “You have my word.” 

Tubbo still wasn’t quite sure about this idea, but he figured he was in deep enough. Every instinct told him not to, but just as always, Tubbo reached out and took Tommy’s hand. 

As usual, the two would transverse forwards together. Forever and always. This tunnel was just another obstacle. And, so, Tommy and Tubbo ventured into the mysterious darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the story isn’t completely accurate to reality, but as we all know, the disc saga kind of dragged on for a bit, so I had to cut some parts out. When I start getting twinges of bored ness when writing, it tends to show how the story is lacking, so, as stated before, lots of smaller parts will be cut out to make way for the bigger plot. That being said, I also needed to take a bit of a break from writing to work out some personal issues amd I think I’ll move it from every other day to about two days just to give myself a head start. Thanks for understanding and I hope you enjoy!


	21. Smile

Tubbo was quick to question in the first three seconds the two had stepped foot into the mysterious dark tunnel. Of course, Tommy hadn’t been expecting much else, he hadn’t even mean for this to happen today, but it still annoyed him just a bit. 

“Are you sure we should be exploring? What if it belongs to someone we shouldn’t mess with?” 

Tommy scoffed, he shot Tubbo a look as he began to enter the tunnel nonchalantly again. From his inventory, he drew a torch and lit it. “Yeah?” He asked. “Like, who?” 

Tubbo groaned in displeasure under his  breath, but he nonetheless went to follow. “You  _ know  _ who.” 

“Oh, the prick hasn’t been around all night,” Tommy said, he held the torch out in front of him, sure enough the tunnel stretched on, just as he’d recalled. “I haven’t seen him since… since yesterday…” 

“You know he could still be here.” 

Tommy waved his free hand absently. “We’ll be fine,” he said. “I’ll bet it doesn’t even belong to him. It’s probably just a strip mine someone used, y’know?” 

Tubbo hummed uncomfortably. “Then,  _ why  _ exactly are we heading down it?” 

“Because I’m curious,” Tommy replied shortly, truth be told, he wasn’t in the mood for this today. “If you’re so worried about someone coming, maybe you should’ve gotten here earlier instead of being off doing nothing.” 

“I wasn’t doing  _ nothing,”  _ Tubbo shot  back defensively. “I was  _ dealing _ with something. My life stretches beyond just  _ you _ , you know, Tommy?” 

“Yeah?” Tommy asked. “And, what’s that? Go on.” 

“I was dealing with Fundy’s bullshit socialization club,” Tubbo said. “You even showed up. I don’t know why you’ve forgotten.” 

Tommy snorted. “What the _hell_ is a socialization club?” 

“I’ve already  _ told  _ you that, Tommy,” T ubbo sighed. “Don’t tell me you've forgotten  _ already.”  _

“No,” Tommy scoffed and chuckled  nervously under his breath. He tried not to mention the fact that this had happened a lot lately, though he wasn’t sure why. “Of  _ course _ not… but tell me again and stop being a  _ bitch.”  _

Tubbo sighed and rolled his eyes as he spoke. “Fundy was pissed at Purpled and I for some reason, so he decided to set up a socialization club to trap us.” 

“How do you know  _ that?”  _

“Because he tried to trap us… after sitting us in a room and forcing us to talk to each other for like an hour.” 

“Fundy’s an odd fellow,” Tommy muttered. He held the torch further in front of him, but he couldn’t make anything out in the distance before he continued. “I think there’s something wrong with him.” 

“Yeah? What’s that?” Tubbo asked. 

Tommy snorted. “He’s a fucking  _ furry.”  _

Tubbo had to cover his mouth to stifle the chuckle, though Tommy still heard. “I think he was born that way,” he said. “He can’t help it.” 

“Well, he was born as a furry _and_ a ginger,” Tommy added laughingly. “And, that is just hilarious to me. I would punch him, you know? I’m a big strong man.” 

Tubbo chuckled again, though this time  it was a bit more open. “Don’t let  _ Wilbur  _ hear you say that.” 

Tommy waved his free hand absently over his shoulder, as if simply to show Tubbo the gesture. “Wilbur can piss off.” 

“Where’s he been anyways?” Tubbo asked. “Fundy’s been… a bit off-railed since he wondered off a few days ago. You seen him?” 

“I rarely have. He’s been around, of course, but not for long. It seems he’s only working on the house Sanpnap is coming to look at in a few days only a little bit. Besides that, no, he’s been totally missing.” 

“I wonder what he’s up to,” Tubbo said. “He didn’t run away because he always comes back, but it leaves you to wonder. What’s he up to by himself?” 

Tommy snorted and spared a judging look behind him at Tubbo. “Probably being a bitch,” he said. “I’ll bet he’s one of those guys that sits and does nothing.” 

“Maybe...” Tubbo said and held Tommy’s 

gaze as they continued on. “Though, I feel he’s got more work ethic than we credit him for.” 

“Yeah? Who told you that?” 

“No one… I just guessed is all…”

“Well, that’s _stupid.”_ Tommy said. “That man probably hasn’t worked a day in his life!” 

“Well, he built that house, didn’t he?” 

Tommy scoffed. He surrendered  another odd look at Tubbo over his shoulder. “It’s a wooden  _ ball,  _ Tubbo,” he said. “It’s not a  _ house.”  _

Tubbo shrugged almost too nonchalantly. “Well, I mean, you live in a dirt mound, so…” 

Tommy paused in his tracks to whip  around.  _ “Excuse me?”  _

Tubbo held his hands up in surrender “I’m just saying!” He said. “You both have interesting house choices!” 

“I do not!” Tommy shot back. “If  anything,  _ you  _ do! Who would want to live in a normal house anyways? That’s so boring! I couldn’t last a moment in it!” 

Tubbo crossed his arms and raised a single brow. “No?” 

“No, in fact, I’d rather die!” 

“Tommy, I think you’re being a bit…” Tubbo suddenly trailed off, his eyes widening at whatever was in front of Tommy. “Holy shit… look!” 

Tommy turned around and held the torch in front of him to see better. At first, he was really able to see mich, but then he took a step forwards and everything became clear. What he’d been expecting as more hallway was anything but. A large, hollowed out area stood before him, its walls were lined with chests. It wasn’t proper enough to be considered a room, but Tommy wasn’t sure how else to describe it. It wasn’t a room, but it wasn’t just a hole. It was something else… 

“Woah…” Tubbo breathed. “This is kind  of  _ cool.”  _

“Is it?” Tommy held the torch further  in, laughing to himself as he did so. “It’s  _ looted,  _ more like, if you ask me.” 

Tubbo hummed in agreement under his breath as well, though he didn’t stray far from the entrance, even as Tommy went in. 

Tommy headed over to the nearest chest and pulled the top open. He gasped in excitement at the sight of shimmering that twinkled before his eyes. “Oh! Yeah, look at this!” 

“I don’t think we should be touching those, Tommy.” 

But, Tommy wasn’t listening. Instead, he reached into the chest and grabbed the first thing he came across. The diamonds felt rough, hard, and heavy when he lifted them into the air to show his friend. “Look, these are real!” 

“I can see that…” 

Tommy laughed. He pocketed the  diamonds, then slammed the chest shut in favor of moving on to another one. This one wasn’t as loaded with loot, per say, but there was still quite a bit of supplies. “There’s golden carrots in here, Tubbo!” He chuckled. “And, golden apples as well!” 

This time, however, there was no  response to Tommy’s remark. Any other time, he would’ve let it go unnoticed, but he didn’t miss the sharp gasp that suddenly echoed behind him. 

Tommy swallowed hard, nervously.  “Tubbo?” 

_ “Tommy…”  _ That wasn’t Tubbo. 

A shiver shot up Tommy’s spine at the  familiar voices that came from the darkness behind him and he stiffened in the spot he stood. 

“Step away from the chest.” 

Tommy raised his hands and  surrendered a quick glance over his shoulder. He swallowed nervously upon discovering exactly who he’d been expecting. “Dream…” 

“Step away from the chest…” 

“Why?”

A small whine echoed from behind him  as well, this one wasn’t Dream, thoug, and it was enough to make Tommy’s hair stand on end. “Tommy… just do it…” 

“Tubbo…?” Tommy whipped around,  then quickly froze in place at the sight of Dream holding an axe to his best friend’s throat. 

The two were stood half shrouded in  the darkness of the hallway, a sizable distance away from Tommy. Dream seems to hold the axe closer upon seeing him staring. 

_ “Step. Away.”  _

Tommy glowered at him. Every instinct  of his told him to rush Dream and beat his ass for even suggesting such a thing, but his rationality stopped him. He couldn’t let Tubbo get hurt. “Fine!” He snapped and, at last, stepped away rom the chest in Dream’s direction. “I’m away, now let him go.” 

“What did you take?” 

“Nothing—!” 

_ “Tommy.”  _

Tommy grit his teeth so hard, he felt  something crack. He clenched his fists at his side in an effort to hold back the string of angry rage that was threatening to escape him. “Wouldn’t you like to know, Bitch?” 

“Yes.” 

“I stole your diamonds,” Tommy said  confidently, though Dream’s demeanor remained neutral. “...bitch…” 

“Oh, is that it?” 

“What do you— yes, that was it, Dream,  what do you want from me?” 

Dream chuckled. At last, the weapon  dropped from Tubbo’s neck and, though Dream didn’t let him stray far, he was safe. “I think you know the answer to that.” 

Tommy shifted uncomfortably and  crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah?” 

“All I ask for is the chestplate,” Dream  said placidly. “In exchange for your discs, I’ll need the chestplate…  _ and  _ for you to leave my base. Then, you and Tubbo can walk out of here, I’ll even let you keep the diamonds.” 

“Really?” Tommy cleared his throat  when his voice had come off a bit pitchy and excited. That was far from the impression he was trying to make here today. “I mean… how do I know you’re not lying?” 

“About what?” Dream asked. “I have  nothing to lie about, do I? I’m not going to  _ kill  _ you.” 

“No?” Tommy scoffed a humorless  chuckle. “That’s  _ rich _ coming from you, Dream. You shoved me off a  _ tower _ yesterday.” 

Dream scoffed as well, though he  sounded a lot more amused than Tommy did. “It wasn’t going to  _ kill  _ you, I knew that. I just needed you off my back and  _ still  _ for once, so I could do what I needed to do.” 

“So, the discs really  _ were  _ fake, right?”  Tommy asked. “You burned fake discs to get  _ what?  _ A reaction out of me?” 

Dream shrugged. “I was wondering how long it would take you to figure that out. To be honest, I thought it’d be longer.” 

“Well, it didn’t.” 

“I can see that…” Dream sighed. “It looks bad, Tommy, I know it does, but I did what I had to do. It was to teach you a lesson: actions have consequences.”

“You’re a  _ shitty _ teacher!” Tommy spat. 

“What’s your lesson, then? How to be a  _ dick _ by DreamWasTaken?” 

“That’s  _ Mr. WasTaken  _ to you.” 

“...I don’t like this conversation anymore.”

Dream wheezed a brief laugh, almost too playfully, then he suddenly extended a gloved hand. “Do we have a deal, Tommy?” He said. “I get my chestplate and you leave and you get your stupid discs and get Tubbo.” 

Tommy took a moment to think about it.  He wasn’t quite sure how well Dream could be trusted, but then again, he hadn’t told him many lies since they’d met. Actually, besides the fact that he was a liar and a thief, he hadn’t been  _ too  _ bad… right? 

“Tommy?” 

“How do I know you’ll remain truthful?“ 

“Why would I lie?” 

“I’m not sure.” 

“How about this, Tommy?” Dream crossed his arms over his chest. “We do the old throw down, how about that? We set out a block and, at the right time, we both throw down our goods. I’ll even let you have Tubbo beforehand…” 

Tommy huffed a quiet breath. He  thought about saying no, just to spite the man, but his eyes were quick to latch onto Tubbo’s across the room. Now the discs  _ and  _ Tubbo were involved. Dammit. “Fine.” He growled. “Tubbo first.” 

Dream obliged quite quickly thankfully. He shoved Tubbo stumbling across the room towards Tommy and the two were quick to latch onto each other the second they were reunited. As they did so, the older man went into his chest and grabbed a single block from it. He placed it in the center of the room and stepped towards it. “Are you ready?” 

Tommy swallowed. He wasn’t, but he wasn’t about to let Dream know that. “Of course,” he lied and stepped forwards, being sure to keep Tubbo behind him. His fingers felt cold, shaky, and numb as he slowly began undoing the latches from his chestplate. He’d been so defiant not to allow Dream to get this, but here he was… how strange. 

“So, you understand how this works?” Dream asked. 

Tommy looked up and felt his heart leapt into his throat at the sight of Dream holding the two discs between his fingers. The strange, longing feeling returned to him as he laid eyes on them, as if he were to move, they’d be gone. “Y-Yes…” he stuttered out. “A trade… at the same time…” 

“Good.” Dream said and stepped closer. “You ready?” 

Tommy nodded eagerly. 

“Okay,” Dream continued. “We’re going to take this nice and slow. On the count of three, alright? One… two… three!” 

The second the words left Dream’s mouth, Tommy threw the chestplate on the table and scooped up his beloved discs when they landed in front of him. He stumbled back into Tubbo at the very thought of being so close to Dream, his discs clutched tightly to his chest. 

“See, Tommy?” Dream seemed infuriatingly calm as he held the shining chestplate in his hands. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” 

“The deal isn’t done,” Tommy said, his voice low. He allowed his gaze to dart over to the exit, the only escape that Dream was blocking. “We leave without a fight.” 

Dream’s head lifted slightly, almost as  if he were looking down his nose at Tommy. His hand twitched at his side and, for the briefest of moments, Tommy thought the deal would be off. Then, however, just as suddenly as the movements had happened, Dream relaxed. “Of course,” he said. His cheeks pulled back from the edges of his mask, hinting at the faintest of smiles and he stepped away from the escape. “You may go.  _ Now.”  _

Tommy exchanged a weary glance with Tubbo beside him, but the boy was quick to nod forwards. “Right…” Tommy turned back to Dream and lowered his own gaze. He reached over and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, then, ever so slowly, began moving forwards. 

Those soulless eyes of Dream’s unblinking smiley mask were unwavering as they tracked Tommy and Tubbo across the room. Not once did they move from Tommy’s gaze, it was like looking into a bottomless void. 

Tommy’s hand never left the hilt, nor did he allow Tubbo to stray too far away from him. He could hear his own heart pounding in his ears, it grew louder and faster the closer he moved towards Dream. 

Dream was, as usual, unmoving, silent, and placidly calm. He kept his arms at his side, a bit too close to the sword for comfort, but his hands were still. The lifeless eyes were daunting and Tommy could only imagine the face behind the mask that stared at him as he passed. Was Dream frowning? Smiling? Perhaps it was a maniacal smile, the one he’d see as the sword was driven through his chest. Perhaps it was cold… or, even worse, perhaps it looked so kind and friendly, it drew you in and didn't let go. 

Tommy wasn’t sure why the very sight of the mask next to him stole the breath from his lungs. When had Dream gotten so much larger than him? Was he taller? Older? Had he somehow grown? Had Tommy shrunk and somehow missed it?

“Tommy.” 

A hand tugged on Tommy’s arm and, though Tommy barely felt it, he acknowledged his friend at his side. It was a small gesture, a small squeeze on Tubbo’s shoulder, but it helped to draw Tommy back into reality. 

“Until next time, Dream.” He wasn’t even sure of what had prompted him to say such a thing. Not to the thing that made his heart bound in runaway terror… but, he had said it anyways. Almost as if a part of him refused to show his fear. The truth was, Tommy wasn’t even sure if that was insane or brave. 

Dream didn’t say anything as Tommy  and Tubbo walked past him. His eyes and his smile never left, not even when Tommy looked away. However, the second the two’s boots crossed the threshold of his secret base, at last, Dream spoke. “We’ll meet again, Tommy.” He said, his voice eerily low and haunting. It sent shivers racing down Tommy’s spine like a blizzard. “I’m sure we’ll meet again  _ very, very  _ soon.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Welcome back to another chapter lmao! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading another one of these! Please let me know if you’ve enjoyed it! As always questions, comments, and concerns are very welcome!   
> I hope you have a wonderful day! <3


	22. Stranger

A trip to the nether was the last thing Tommy thought he would be doing on a Friday afternoon. He wasn’t sure just how he’d ended up here. One moment he was minding his own business in his house, the next, Tubbo and Fundy were dragging him through the SMP.

He wasn’t sure how he ended up standing against the netherrack, watching as Fundy and Tubbo talked about chess, but here he was, bored out of his mind. 

With everything going on in his life,  there had been a lot on his mind: Dream, the discs, his life here. It was too pressing to just ignore…. However, now that he thought about it, he supposed that could’ve been why Tubbo had dragged him out here. Tubbo was just a good friend like that… even if watching him mine quartz was the most bori thing in the world. 

Tommy was suddenly snapped out of  thought by the sound of a growl that sent shivers racing down his spine. He pushed himself off the wall, his hand drifting to his sword in preparation. “Tubbo!” He called. 

Tubbo and Fundy both turned around at the sound of exclamation from him. 

“What’s wrong?” Tubbo asked worriedly. 

“Did you hear that?” 

“Hear what?” 

Tommy grit his teeth and shot the boy a look. He gestured to the spot next to him quickly, beckoning his friends over. 

Both Tubbo and Fundy exchanged an odd look with each other, but ultimately, they began heading over. 

At that, Tommy turned back to the area he thought the noise to have come from. His heart nearly stopped in his chest when his eyes were able to decipher a figure standing there in the dark. 

“Who’s there?” Tommy demanded. He drew his sword and held it out towards the darkness. He made sure to stay in front of Tubbo and Fundy as he inched forwards towards the threat. “I know you’re not a monster, so show yourself!” 

A low chuckle suddenly erupted from  the darkness, one that was dark and foreboding. “And, how would you know  _ that?”  _

“Come out so I can see you.” 

The chuckle grew into a small laugh, nothing too entertained, but amused nonetheless. “Sure…” he said. “Whatever you say…” 

Tommy tensed when the silhouette moved in the shadows once more. He held his sword tighter, preparing as it slowly moved towards him. He felt his heart leapt into his throat when the thing he’d once thought to be a person grew closer and he quickly learned his mistake. 

The figure began growing more apparent as it grew closer. Tommy gasped sharply when it finally stepped into the light and he stumbled back so quickly, he nearly tripped. 

A man of average height perhaps with close cropped hair stood before him. However, that was the least peculiar about him; it was far from it. Two, pointed and twisted horns were growing out of the side of his head and his eyes were hello with dark black slits.

“Shit!” Tommy cursed. He held his sword higher as he tried to catch his breath. “N-No, stay there! Stay there!” 

The creature stopped patiently.  “What?” It asked. “Don’t like what you see? I  _ told _ you that you wouldn’t…” 

“You’re-Youre—! No, just stop! What are you?” 

The creature raised a brow at Tommy  and scoffed in amusement. “You’re certainly  _ blunt,  _ aren’t you?” 

“Tommy, it’s alright,” Tubbo said from behind and laid a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. Tommy stiffened at the touch, but kept silent nonetheless. “He’s just a hybrid.” 

“A hybrid?” 

“Yeah, it’s—!” 

“I know what a hybrid is!” 

The hybrid moved his hand up, but seemed to quickly decide against it. “I’m a goat hybrid.” 

“Are you meant to look like the devil?” Fundy asked. 

The goat man turned to look at him. “And, what are you? A furry?” 

Tommy stifled a chuckle when Fundy  frowned in distaste. His tail swished once behind him, but beside that, he kept his cool. “A  _ fox _ hybrid. Fundy.” 

“What’s a Fundy?” 

“Yeah,” Tommy added. “Just what _is_ a Fundy?”

Fundy shot him a quick glare of  warning. He almost seemed to shrink in on himself in anger. “My  _ name.”  _

“Oh. _Oh.”_ Schlatt scoffed. “‘Course. Silly me. Alright, well, I’m Schlatt… J-Schlatt. Nothing fancy about it.” 

“You don’t have a name?” Tommy asked. “ You  _ do?”  _

“Yeah,” Tommy said. “I’m… Tommy... T _ ommyinnit.”  _

Schlatt rolled his eyes. “Tommyinnit?  And, you’re making fun of  _ my  _ name?” 

Tommy opened his mouth to respond, but Schlatt was quickly moving on. 

The man’s eyes locked onto something beyond Tommy, someone, and, for a moment, all was silent. 

Tommy exchanged a look with Fundy beside him, but it was almost as if a switch was flipped and the man’s hand shot out. 

“Hey, Kid,” he said. “What’s your name?” 

Tubbo glanced up at Tommy sheepishly, but the boy was quick to nod down at him; he was eager and excited and Tubbo didn’t want to take that away from him. “Erm… it’s Tubbo…” he said and shook the outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you…” 

“Tubbo’s a _bitch,”_ Tommy said proudly and grinned at his best friend almost mischievously. “Were good friends.” 

“Who are _you_ to call him a bitch, Child?” Schlatt snapped at him. “Jesus, someone should take away your toddler toys for that one.” 

“What?” Tommy shot back in defensive, he was also quick to shoot Tubbo a look after hearing the stifled giggle. “What the hell, man?” 

“Is everyone here a child?” Schlatt demanded. 

Fundy raised his hand.  _ “I’m _ older.” 

“Are not,” Tommy said to him. “Tubbo and I are! By like 4 years actually!” 

“And, how would you know that?” Fundy shot back. “I’ve never even told you my age!” 

“Because I’m a big man and I’m  _ smart!”  _

Fundy opened his mouth to speak, but Tubbo held a hand out and stopped him with a quick glare. 

“We’re some of the only kids on here,” he said. “There’s also Purpled, but he’s always off on tournaments or something, we rarely ever see him.” 

“What kind of name is  _ Purpled?”  _

“A stupid one,” Tommy was quick to chime in. 

Jschlatt snorted in amusement as he  turned towards him. “Like you’re one to talk. I mean,  _ Tommyinnit,  _ could you be  _ more _ British?” 

Tommy placed his hands on his hips.  “Being British is better than being American, I would  _ die  _ if I was American.” 

Schlatt smirked. “We won the war.” 

Tommy sneered at him, not sure why he was beginning to admire this man more and more by the minute. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Tubbo held up a hand to stop him. 

“So, you live here?” He asked. 

Schlatt raised a brow. “Where?” 

“In the nether,” Tubbo gestured to the bright glow of lava over the edge of the nether rack. 

Schlatt snorted softly and crossed his  arms over his chest. “Sure, Kid,” he said. “I wouldn’t really say I  _ live  _ anywhere right now, but I guess this is my residence, if that makes sense.” 

“We live somewhere!” Fundy piped up. “You should come see!” 

Tommy nodded eagerly as well. “Yeah!  It’s really cool there, you  _ should  _ come see!” 

“Right…” Schlatt sucked in a deep  breath and gazed off into the distance almost longingly. “You live in the overworld?” 

“In the Dream SMP!” 

“Hm…” Schlatt scratched his head. “I  haven’t been there in a  _ long  _ time…” 

“Oh, it’ll be fun!” Tommy said. 

“Who runs the place? Will they stab me  if I  _ do _ come?” 

“No one controls  _ me!”  _ Tommy shot back  before anyone else could respond. “I’m Tommyinnit!” 

Schlatt scoffed end shook his head.  His nose scrunched up in disgust.  _ “You _ run the place?” 

“No—!” 

“Yes!” Tommy shot a look to Tubbo  when the boy tried speaking up. “Yeah, I run myself!” 

“It’s just you guys?” 

“No, there’s a lot more!” 

Schlatt shook his head. “I can’t believe  your server is run by children,” he grimaced. 

“No,” at last, Tubbo held out a hand,  silencing Tommy momentarily. “We’re not in charge,” 

Tommy snorted. “Speak for yourself.  _ No one _ is in charge of  _ me, _ Bitch.” 

Tubbo shot him a quick, warning glance,  but didn’t comment on it. “There’s a guy named Dream. He’s the one who runs this place. He, uh… he’s pretty strict actually...” 

“Well, he seems like a bitch to me. If  you ask me, it should be  _ me  _ running this place.” 

Tommy opened his mouth to perhaps  interject, but no one seemed bothered by it. 

“Wouldn't  _ that  _ be the day?” He  asked. “You people would be  _ much  _ better off with me in control. 

“Yeah…” Tommy chuckled awkwardly. “I  mean, how hard could it be to overthrow him?” 

“What’s this about overthrowing now?” 

Tommy froze in place at the familiar  voice that came from behind him. He whipped around, shocked to discover Wilbur Soot of all people standing there curiously. 

The expression across his face could  only be deemed as a disappointed parent who’d just caught their kid with their hand in the cookie jar. 

“Uhh… Wilbur…!” He tried to sound as  enthusiastic as possible. “You’re  _ here…!  _ In the Nether…! _ ”  _

“Yeah, I was…” Wilbur trailed off.  “Never mind. It’s not important. What is important is whatever the hell you three are going on about.” 

“It wasn’t us!” Fundy exclaimed. He stepped aside to better show Schlatt and even pointed at him to emphasize his point. “It was him!” 

“Who is…?” Wilbur sighed and leaned forwards to pinch his nose in annoyance. “Right. Who’s this, then?” 

“Schlatt.” Schlatt crossed his arms. “You don’t remember?” 

Wilbur scoffed softly. “No,” he said. “Not particularity. Though, I will say I’m used to people feeling familiar to me.” 

“Familiar, huh? That’s it?” 

Wilbur shrugged. “What I’m more curious about is this overthrowing business I’m hearing. Tommy?” 

Tommy swallowed nervously when  Wilbur turned to face him. A good enough excuse hadn't really what he’d been expecting to use, all he could really think of to do was laugh.  _ “Wilbur…!”  _

“Please don’t tell,” Tubbo said. “We were just messing around.” 

Wilbur placed his hands on his hips and a brief look crossed his eyes as he debated. Tommy “Alright…” he finally said after about a minute of silence. “I don’t think I’ll say anything… you want to see my ball?” 

“Your  _ what?”  _ Fundy demanded. 

Wilbur shot him a look as if it were  obvious. “My  _ ball,  _ Fundy? My wooden ball?” 

Fundy still seemed to be at a loss, but Tommy was quick to move the conversation on when the fox boy began to lack. 

“Right!” He exclaimed. _“I’d_ like to see the wooden ball.” 

“Nobody cares what you think, Child,” Schlatt said. “That being said, I agree. Do tell me more, Wil.” 

Wilbur smirked, a slight glint appeared in his eye, one that Tommy recognized though he wasn’t sure what from. Perhaps he’d seen it on Fundy before? “Of course…” he then extended a hand out into the open air, in the direction of the nether portal home. “Right this way!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I am well aware of the fact that this is so late, but I have a good explanation… I have an explanation. I procrastinated, that’s all. It wasn’t the most fun chapter to write, it wasn’t that full of the action or adventure that makes this so much fun, it was really just walking around and messing around. However, it was important so I had to write it, it just took a while to do, is all I’m saying. Thanks for your patience if you were waiting lol.


	23. Departure

From the nether portal to about halfway to Tommy’s place, everything was going well. Schlatt seemed a bit taken aback by everything in the real world, even sunshine, but he quickly became accustomed to it. Slowly but surely, Tommy began growing accustomed to him. 

“So you all live here without a fuss?” Schlatt continued on with his subject of life here rather quickly. 

“Not without a fuss,” Wilbur replied quickly. “Just silently resentful, y’know?” 

Schlatt nodded. “As any good kingdom, I guess you...” he suddenly trailed off questioningly and, when Tommy followed his gaze, he was disappointed to discover two more familiar faces. 

“Oh, here we go…” he sighed.

The two must’ve noticed something amiss because, the second they laid eyes on the ground, they were heading over. 

“Who the hell is that?” Schlatt asked. 

“That’s Sapnap and Gogy.” Tommy said. “They live here, too.” 

“What kind of name is Gogy?” 

“Well, that’s just what we call him,” Tubbo added. “His real name is George. GeorgeNotFound..” 

“Don’t let that fool you, they’re both  bitches,” Tommy said.  _ “Especially  _ Sapnap.” 

“What are you doing?” George asked the second the two were close enough. “Do we really need to hire a babysitter?” 

“We’re showing our new friend around, Gogy,” Tommy said. He gestured behind him to the man in question. 

“Who’s  _ that?”  _ Sapnap asked. 

“I’m Schlatt!” Schlatt called over to him. “JSchlatt!” 

Sapnap frowned. “I don’t recognize the name…” 

“Well, you’re not exactly important either, are you Snapmap?” 

“More important than  _ you, _ Goat Boy _.”  _

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” 

“We were just on our way to Wilbur’s ball.” Tommy interjected quickly. “It’s apart of the tour.” 

“Wilbur’s _what?”_ George demanded. Meanwhile, on his left, Sapnap snickered. 

“My _ball,_ Gogy,” Wilbur said. “Or, rather, my new home that I said I would build, Sapnap?” 

Sapnap scoffed at him in amusement. “That’s not a house.” 

“You said to build a home and I did,”  Wilbur shot back. “I don’t shit on  _ your _ creative choices, do I?” 

Sapnap scoffed another laugh. He crossed his arms in almost a smug way, then raised a brow. “Alright,” he said. “Do show.” 

~ * ~ 

It was a ball alright, just not exactly what Tommy had been expecting. It looked structurally sound enough to at least stand in, much unlike some of the other builds he’d seen. It hung down from the arch in the hill side, but remained still. 

The inside looked a lot better than the outside at least. It wasn’t the most roomy place Tommy had ever been, but it worked. There was a bed pushed into the corner as well as some chests, shelves, and windows scattered about. Even an English Fern sat hanging in the window. 

“Wow…” Schlatt snorted slightly and placed his hands in his hips as he cast a look around. “It’s small.” 

Wilbur nodded. “Well, it’s only me who lives here.” 

Schlatt scoffed and turned a knowing look  down to Tommy. “This seems like a kid’s place,” he said. “It’s small enough to  _ be _ one.” 

“That’s true,” Wilbur said nodding. “It’s fit for a gremlin child. Right, Tommy?” 

Tommy glared at him. Really, the only thing keeping him going was his own admiration for the unfamiliar fellow. Otherwise, he'd be far away from the insults. 

“Yeah, why don’t we look in one of these  chests?” Schlatt continued. “Maybe there’s some  _ crayons  _ you can have.” 

Tommy remained stubbornly silent and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“I mean, what do we have here? We have  a toddler… we have… We have  _ Tubbo….”  _

Tommy scowled ever further at the way the entire room erupted into a fit of giggles. Even Tubbo, who Tommy was quick to shoot a glare to. 

“We have Wilbur, a furry, Sapnap… and goggles— I mean, we’ve just got a whole band of misfits here, don’t we?” 

“It’s… It’s generally _Gogy…”_ Tommy muttered, but everyone ignored him. Instead, everyone still seemed to be laughing in delight at the man’s insults. 

“The entire server is a band full of misfits,” Wilbur said in agreement. “You should meet Dream.” 

“The tyrant prick?” 

George and Sapnap exchanged a look at that, but they nonetheless remained silent. 

“Exactly,” Tommy said. “He has a god complex and it is annoying.” 

At last, Schlatt laughed at that  comment. The first time he’d done so towards Tommy. “I’d think so… I mean, just  _ look  _ at this place!” The goat man shook his head as he took a seat on the bed. “God, Wilbur, is this really where you sleep?” 

“Well…” Wilbur chuckled sheepishly. “Sometimes…” he admitted. “It’s not very comfortable.” 

“Christ, it’s like lying on a bunch of  _ rocks!”  _ Schlatt exclaimed and demonstrated so by stretching out on the mattress. “Oh, your poor  _ back!  _ How do you live like this?” 

“We… just do…” Wilbur said. He cast a look at Tommy, but he couldn’t help but agree. 

“We just do,” he repeated. “Without stupid questions.”

Schlatt sat up with a quick snort. He glared in both men’s directions as he spoke. “You know what? I have an idea.” 

“You do?” 

Schlatt nodded. “Come outside, I have something to show you.” 

~*~

Whatever Schlatt had been hinting at, Tommy hadn’t expected at all what came next. Well, to be honest, with how Schlatt had been acting recently, he supposed he should’ve expected the unexpected. What a true statement turned out to be. 

It was a small box of sorts, built out of material which Tommy had no idea where Schlatt had gotten. It wasn’t nether brick, nether rack, or quartz. Instead it was made of chrisp, fresh oakwood. 

“It’s a shed,” Schlatt said proudly when the group had first turned around to see. He grinned widely and gestured to the crude structure behind him. “For—! You know what? Why don’t I just show you? Any volunteers?” 

Tommy’s hand shot into the air before he even realized what he was doing. When Schlatt’s head turned to him, however, he could spot the discomfort from a mile away. 

“Ah… how about someone else?” 

Tommy frowned. At last, it felt as if the final straw had been broken. “What’s wrong with me, Bitch?” 

Schlatt eyed him wearily. “You’re too young, Child.” 

A burst of laughter erupted from behind Tommy and he turned to find Wilbur grinning ear-to-ear. Slowly, all around the man, others seemed to be catching on as well. 

“Fundy! How about you?” 

Fundy’s brow shot up in surprise and his tail flicked once behind him, but the grin was quick to grow on his face as well. “Yeah!” He exclaimed. “Sure!” 

Tommy tried not to take the insult that Fundy was literally younger than him. He supposed this could be funny to watch after all. 

“Alright,” Schlatt said. “Start out near the entrance. Start walking towards me, you’ll pick up on what to do.” 

Fundy nodded then, when Schlatt began putting on the finishing touches, he jogged back near the entrance. 

At the very least, Tommy exchanged a look eye Tubbo beside him. Unfortunately, the boy seemed just as confused. 

“Hello, good sir, what are you off to do today?” Schlatt began boisterously. “Going to a Hooters, I see?” 

“Um… yes! Of course!” Fundy replied  quickly with just enough hesitance that Tommy could rest assured that he wasn’t sure what a  _ Hooters _ was either. “The owls never rest!” 

“No, they don’t, do they? They’re wild animals,” Schlatt replied and Tommy had a sneaking feeling that the hooters were anything but. “But, of course, my good friend! Only the best for you! How would you like to try out my new shed?” 

“Oh, what a lovely structure!” Fundy said as he turned to the build. “What does it do?” 

“It gives people exactly what they deserve.” 

Fundy raised a brow at the goat man. “And, what is that?” 

“I just said whatever you deserve, you idiot.” 

“Oh. Sorry.” 

Schlatt thankfully didn't dwell. Instead, he stepped aside, revealing the plain and fruitless interior of the shed. “Step into my shed, O unsuspecting victim!” He said to Fundy. 

Fundy nodded once then, after a quick, slightly sarcastic exclamation, he turned to the shed. “Of course. I shall definitely do that because I trust strangers!” 

Tommy exchanged a curious look with Tubbo beside him, but his anticipation was building. He was both intrigued and amused by whatever little bit Jschlatt was doing. 

Fundy stepped into the small hole, his ears were just tall enough that the tips brushed the top. At first, he seemed confused and, to be frank, everyone was as well. Nothing was happening. Then, however, Schlatt turned to them and smirked, and it suddenly became clear that something was up. 

“Hey, Fundy,” Schlatt said and turned back to the ginger headed boy in the hole. 

“Yeah?” 

“Can you swim?” 

“Can I…? Uh… ye—!” Before the word head even left Fundy’s mouth, Schlatt pulled the lever on the side of the shed. A yelp echoed from inside as the floor suddenly dropped from beneath Fundy, closely followed by a loud splash of water as he fell into it. 

The group surrounding burst into laughter once again, Tommy himself even laughed harder than he had in a very long time. From the bottom of the shed, a hand appeared, then a sopping wet Fundy pulled himself into view. This only encouraged more laughter as the boy rolled onto the lawn. 

“Did you see how  _ quickly _ he dropped?” 

“You smell like  _ shit,  _ Fundy!” 

“Oh my god!” 

“And, there you have it!” It wasn’t long before Schlatt’s voice tee turned, almost proud. “My shed! Gives people their dues, doesn’t it, Fundy?” 

“I feel like a rat.” 

“You are. Alright! What’s next on the list? I’m getting bored…” 

“There’s always _my_ house,” Tubbo said sheepishly. “I mean, it’s not much to look at, but—!” 

“Yes! That!” Schlatt suddenly exclaimed enthusiastically. “I want to see his house.” 

“What?” Tommy frowned in confusion. 

“Why?” 

“Do you have a better idea?” 

Tommy supposed he didn’t, though he still found it odd that, out of everything, Tubbo’s house was what excited the goat man. “Alright.” He shrugged. “There’s not much to see, but I suppose we could do that…” 

“Cool!” Tubbo grinned as he pointed further down the path. “It’s just down there, it’s not hard to miss!” 

Tommy exchanged a look with Wilbur behind him, but ultimately headed over to the front with Tubbo. Schlatt was also quick to join in on the other side as the two walked. 

All was well for about a minute. For just a minute Tommy was allowed to breathe and hope. Then, suddenly, it all faded away. 

TWANG! 

Schlatt froze tensely in his step at the sudden noise that sounded in front of him. 

Tommy paused in confusion, too, but upon twisting to look around, he was shocked to find the tail end of a feathered arrow before him. “What—?” 

_ “Not another step.”  _

Tommy’s head snapped up at the sound of a familiar voice and the sound of a bowstring being drawn back. It didn’t take him long to locate the bright color of green standing above them on the hillside. “Dream?” 

Dream ignored him. 

“What the hell is this about?” Jschlatt demanded. “Who are you?” 

Dream stood straighter, taller. “I am the leader of this place. I am in charge here.” 

“Oh, the  _ tyrant?”  _ Schlatt snorted. “ Yeah, I’ve heard of you from your  _ puppets.”  _

Tommy gasped quietly at the sudden  insult from Schlatt, he was surprised the arrow didn’t fly into his chest right then and there. 

“Hm.” There was no way of telling  whether or not Dream was amused. “Of course. And,  _ you _ must be the chaos bringer.” 

“The one and only.” 

“Let’s get one thing straight. You have  stepped too far out of line,” Dream said. Despite the obscured view of his face, he raised his chin to look down his nose at the man. “From this day forwards, you shall be banned from the Dream SMP.” 

“What?” Tommy moved to step forwards,  but Tubbo caught his arm. “Why?” 

“Yeah,” Schlatt said. “What did I do,  Prick?” 

Dream growled low in his throat, his first  real sign of rising anger. His hand drifted dangerously close to his axe. “You’ve threatened my ruling of this land and expressed desire to do something more than simply mess around here. I will not tolerate this any longer.” 

“Dream, stop being a bitch!” Tommy  crowed. He pulled against Tubbo’s grip to try and race over, but it barely worked. 

“Tommy, stop—!” 

“You can’t just ban him because you don’t  like him!” 

“I will not stand for threats against my  leadership, no matter who it is. Either you stand under me or you do not stand at all.” 

“Well, at least take me out to dinner—!”  Schlatt cut himself off rather abruptly when Dream leapt down from the rock and onto his level. It was obvious as he tried to stand taller, but even he couldn’t help but take a step back as Dream approached. 

“Dream—!” 

This time, it was Schlatt who held up a  hand to silence Tommy. He didn’t seem particularly excited about it, but he spoke nonetheless. “It’s fine, Tommy,” he said. “Let ‘im say his piece, even if it is shit.” 

Tommy grit his teeth so hard, he thought  he felt something crack. Though, nonetheless, he remained silent. 

“From this day on, Jschlatt, you shall be  banned from the lands of the Dream SMP. My warning ends here, if I see you set foot near here again, I will not hesitate to  _ deal _ with you myself.” 

Tommy opened his mouth to shout  something again, but Schlatt finally speaking shut him up. 

“Very well…” he said, his voice almost  cold and unfeeling. “If that is how you feel, Dream, then I’ll respect your wishes. I don’t like to be controlled by tyrants anyways.” 

“You—!” 

“Save it, Dream,” Schlatt interrupted.  “You’ve said your piece and I’ve said mine. We’ll leave it at that.” Then, without even giving Dream a chance to respond, he turned to the remainder of the group behind him. “I’ve enjoyed my stay here as much as I could, even if it was a bit weird.” 

Wilbur stepped forwards swiftly,  though he didn’t grow too close after a weary look at Dream beyond Schlatt. “Schlatt, you don’t have to listen to Dream,” he said. “Look, we can—!” 

“I won’t drag you down with me,  Wilbur,” Schaltt held up a hand. “I’ll take my leave like a man and be at peace with it. 

“Surely you don’t  _ have  _ to...” Tubbo  added. 

Schlatt’s golden, yellow gaze drifted  over to Tubbo in such a way, it almost seemed sad. “I’ve gotta go, Kid,” he said. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to live in this tyranny any longer than this, Dream had made that  _ very _ clear to me.” 

“Schlatt,” Dream growled lowly behind  him. “I suggest you leave before you make matters worse for yourself.” 

Schlatt rolled his eyes, seemingly more  pissed off about it than anything. “Of course, Dream…” he said sarcastically. One last time, he waved to the group on the opposite side, but he made no more moves than that. “I’ll see you boys later.” 

Then, just like that, as quickly as he’d  appeared, JSchlatt was gone again. Another person Tommy had begun to admire simply walked away. And, there was nothing he could do to stop it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! I hope you’ve enjoyed it! If you have, please let me know in the comments below! I really enjoy the motivation! Also, if you have any questions or concerns, I’d love to hear them! Theories are always nice as well!  
> Have a nice day! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! My name is Emmy and I am an aspiring author with a passion for writing!  
> Let me know what you think of this down in the comments below and if you’d like for this to be continued! You can also suggest things if you’d like because flying solo can be hard!  
> Anyways, I appreciate you taking the time to read this, have a nice day! <3


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